Legit Demon
by Maker of Words
Summary: He was a Demon who smiled & she a Boss who brought happiness. Soon they'd find that there was no reason to let the other go and as a result they formed a bond that went way beyond the ring and the camera's recording it.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: Don't own anything relating to the people in this story or their on-screen personas.

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Chapter One:

July 4, 2015, or better known to those in the wrestling world that was the WWE, as The Beast in the East, an event where superstars and divas brought their skill and talents to the world renowned Tokyo Dome. Many of the talent was excited to go out there in front of a different crowd than what they were used to. A lot of them heard tales of what it was like to compete in Japan in front of larger crowds but until now those words were like a myth.

As the promotion's name suggested Brock Lesnar was the drawing name here, people in the brass expecting Brock to draw like he did back in The States. And in a singular fashion, like only Brock Lesnar could do he competed not in the main event but the third match of the night. However, it wasn't the Beast people came to see it was the return of their Prince who came home looking for his crown. They were here for Finn Balor.

It was that same Finn Balor that was standing in the middle of a training room watching the standoff between Brock and his opponent Kofi Kingston as the WWE employee took a paintbrush to his skin, applying the paint that would transform Finn Balor from the cool Irishman to the relentless Demon. Just as Paul Heyman's Conqueror started off his suplex chain the door to the room opened and in stepped one of Finn's real friends off screen, Antonio Cesaro.

The smirk on his face brought a grin to Finn's face, the good mood of his friend transferring over to Finn who felt the brush moving around just beneath his shoulders. "So the Demon finally comes home. How's it feel?" Cesaro asked, crossing his arms and leaning against the door frame with one shoulder.

Knowing that when the artist got to his mouth he would no longer be able to talk or else the paint would be misplaced, Finn got what he needed to say out. "The Demon's home? Not here but Finn Balor is ready to get out there and take that title." Finn's grin widened into a smirk, confidence coming off him in waves.

"Good" With a simple nod the Swiss superstar turned and walked out of the room, one last line of encouragement leaving his mouth. "Go get 'em, Prince." With his attention no longer distracted Finn was able to watch how Brock hefted Kofi up to his shoulders. From that point, he had to close his eyes though because the paint needed to go on.

Two minutes later and Finn Balor was brought from his relaxed, almost meditative position when the man painting his face, clapped the paint case closed. "Alright Finn, we're done here." It was definitely a treat for him to be able to work on the various paint schemes Finn wanted to be done, especially this Japanese Oni that was done up in black, red, and white.

He was coming out first to further showcase the slowly improving so Finn made sure he was prompt in leaving the room, moving to the entrance ramp, or at least the control room that was behind the curtains and the massive screen that hung over the entrance ramp. Normally the room was filled with officials, the suits but this time Finn saw a few faces. Sami Zayn, Neville, Bayley, and even Sasha Banks. It was a crowded room but he gave all of them a smirk. "What's going on here? Some kind of party?" His Irish accent cutting through the silence of everyone taking in his look.

Sami chuckled at that natural joking side that Finn had but didn't seem to match the Demon, shaking his head fondly. "Come on man, we're here to see who becomes the champ! It's a pretty big deal." Of course, Sami wished he had the chance but he was also happy that his friend was getting his shot, he did deserve for all he had done to get to this point.

"Then I guess you'll be seeing me with my belt in a bit here eh?" There was no point in going out there and thinking he might win. Every time he stepped through that curtain it was to win. It didn't matter if the name was Nakamura, Okada, or now Owens.

"Or Kevin with his belt." Sasha never afraid to say what she wanted spoke from beside Bayley, a smirk on her painted lips and her NXT Women's championship around her waist.

Chuckling, Finn might have wiped at his mouth, a slight tick that he had when it came to physically reacting but because of the Demon paint perfectly laid onto his body, he remained still with no form contact with anyone. "Don't you worry pretty soon I'll be the most popular champion here or on Raw."

It was no secret to any of the men and women on the Main Roster of here at NXT that Sasha Banks had become one of if not the most popular superstar that the WWE had. She had chants going for her and against her, competing just like one John Cena and with that fandom, she was riding and co-piloting the wave of the Women's Revolution. "Oh, don't you worry little Demon. I'm still the Boss!"

Bayley ever the one for good relations between everyone stepped in here to make sure that the friendly banter between her two good friends stayed just that, banter. "Alright you two, play nice. By the way Finn, nice job with the paint." Bayley gave her compliment with a smile and thumbs up.

Nodding his thanks, everyone looked towards the curtain when they heard the ominous beat of his music filling the arena followed shortly after with a wave of cheering for the man that many of the crowd watched grow up. When the initial fervor came to a stop soon they chanted the name _Prince_ and it rained down from the crowd making Finn smile. "Show time," Neville said with a smile looking at Finn who was still smiling at all the people calling for him.

Walking through the curtain into the spot where he was alone, the last spot of silence before he went down the ramp as not Finn Balor but the Demon. Eyes falling closed, the black paint over his eyelids erasing the stunning blue and when they opened again the Demon crouched down and silently made his way into the clouds of red smoke that started to plume out. Not even thinking, not having to Finn Balor crawled, erratic and enigmatic until the music climaxed and he shot up throwing his arms getting the universe around him to do so.

Before he knew it he was folded over the top turnbuckle, his mind following along with the music until it exploded much like the way he rocketed up throwing his arms up and getting the universe to do the same. Standing up and dropping down onto the mat he pulled the head dress off and tossed it to the side, glaring the way the entrance ramp was located.

Where Finn Balor took the time to crawl down to the ring Kevin Owens was nowhere near as slow, marching right to the ring with a naturally sarcastic, not impressed look on his face. But his eyes never took themselves off from where Finn stood. The woman holding the mic did the intro and then the ceremonial bouquet of flowers and sea of streamers from the front three rows on each side.

As the ringside helping hands scurried to clean the streamers so the ring was acceptable to fight in and as they did so Finn and Kevin slowly stepped forward until they were face to face, one glaring down the other as they sized each other up. Finn stared silently with defiant blue eyes but Kevin had no problem talking some smack. "Alright buddy, I'm going to beat you down and blow out of this shitty country."

Finn would have smirked if it wouldn't have broken character so instead of doing that he shook his head once and mouthed out a simple, one-word reply. "No" No, Kevin Owens would not beat him. No, Kevin Owens would not destroy him. The Demon would slay Kevin Owens.

Kevin's eyes opened a bit wider, his darker eyes seeming to have caught a gleam in them when Finn spoke out, his mouth opening some before he nodded. "So you can talk under all of that paint huh?" Then the bell rang and the two men went at it. Not even bothering to go back to their corner, instead opting to throw forearms at the other.

Heads snapping back and grunts from the force of each forearm thrown, the two kept recklessly brawling until Finn's quickness won out and he was able to deliver a succession of blows that drove Kevin back in a the space created Finn accelerated driving Kevin into the turnbuckles with a drop kick. The buckles shook as the larger wrestler crumbled to the ground, rolling out into the perfect spot.

Seeing the perfect chance to land his finisher, the Demon took for the top rope, scaling it in a matter of seconds. Despite the quickness of his action the crowd saw and sensed what was coming sending them all to their feet, a high percentage of them cheering for the Coup de Grace. Perched on the top, Finn stood tall and ready to jump but was thwarted when Kevin Owens wisely rolled out of the ring.

Owens' reprieve did last nearly as long as he would want and that was because there was no hesitation in the Demon as he leaped from the turnbuckles crashing down on Kevin via the means of a flying crossbody much to the delight of the crowd. Meanwhile down on the padded floor laid over the concrete, Kevin had his arms over his face while Finn scrambled up to his feet breathing heavy, arm around his ribs.

Ignoring the ache from crashing down on another man, the Demon reached down to yank Kevin up by his black KO shirt. "Get up!" He barked as he hefted the much larger man back onto his feet only for Finn to direct his attention to where the bell keeper was sitting and with as much momentum as he could he whipped KO into the rail making that portion sling back as Kevin Owens cried out in pain.

 _Three!_ Hearing the referee's count through the noise of the crowd Finn hurried back to Kevin who had just dropped to a knee, his head down as he tried to catch his breath. Again Finn was on him like a relentless hound pounding on Kevin's back and shoulder with clubbing, downward striking fists. _Five!_

The rage of the Demon led to an opening for Kevin Owens in the form of Finn's arm hooking to far over his shoulder making it easy for Kevin to spring to his feet with Finn up like was going to be spinebustered. Only instead of slamming him down, KO ran forward until Finn's spine hit the cold steel and the Demon's anguished shout cut through the arena, the crowd having gone silent. _Eight!_

Rolling Finn back in without any concern for the count, Kevin rolled in right behind him and stood over the downed Demon, pointing right at the painted superstar. "You think you're good enough to beat me? You aren't better than me Finn!" Striding forward Kevin stepped over Finn's body and took off the far ropes coming on back and landing on Finn with a senton that bent his body up like a 'C' the breath forced from the Demon's body.

For the next eight minutes of the match Kevin Owens took control throwing in retching headlocks, a clothesline, a whiplash into the buckles that made the three of them shake as Finn dropped to the ground leaned against the bottom buckle, perfect position for the larger man who slowly marched to the opposite corner mocking the Japanese crowd the entire way.

Grabbing the ropes going in opposite sides of the buckle, KO lashed forward then yanked himself back twice much like the caged bull that was illustrated on the side of his shoulder. With a fierce shout, the current NXT Champion ran forward and did a quick flip canon balling himself into Balor crushing the challenger deep into the corner.

As the Demon struggled to capture the breath that escaped from his crushed chest Kevin Owens was busy facing, the crowd in a deep bow that spoke of an arrogance that made him such an effective Heel. Holding up a single finger, Owens cheered back at the crowd mocking them with the excitement of a child. "One more time!" He cheered with a mocking grin before he settled back in the corner with a grin that was much mocking as it was sarcastic.

Like he did thirty seconds prior, Kevin Owens surged forward like a wild bull and went to smash into the corner where Finn looked dazed, out of it. He committed to the flip and that was when Finn slipped out of the way and the back of Kevin Owen's neck ricocheted off the buckle leaving both men sprawled out aching, sweating, and tired.

As Finn laid there on the left side of the ring, just under the ropes he could feel the sweat sliding down his body, chipping away paint and putting holes in what was a flawless demon facade of paint. He could smell the paint that was painted around his nose and near the nostrils but most of all he could feel all the ache from Kevin throwing him around for nearly ten minutes. _Six!_

On cue both men started to stir and climb onto all fours, both staring at the other as they realized what was at stake and eventually the two made it to their feet and started to throw fists, similar to how the match started. Volleys of punches that knocked sweat off each man came hammering down and this time Kevin Owens got the advantage, his heavy blows turning Balor around but like a band snapping back in place Balor out of nowhere snapped his foot of the back of Owen's neck with a Pele kick.

The kick hit perfectly and drove the NXT Champion down to one knee, a hand reaching out blindly for Balor as bright dots rendered him incapable of seeing for a few moments. What he missed was Finn Balor waiting in the corner, waiting for him to get back. So when Owens climbed back to a somewhat vertical base he was instantly slammed back down courtesy of a Slingblade.

Instinct demanded he roll to the ropes to have a way out if he needed it so that it was the veteran Kevin Owens did. Literally dragging himself to the corner, Kevin faced the buckles putting his back to most of the ring, putting his back to Balor who was in the opposite corner with his hands holding two gun signals with his pointers and thumbs. As soon as Kevin stumbled back to face Balor he was shotgun drop kicked where he snapped off the buckles and rolled right into the perfect spot for Finn to finish him.

Wasting no time on the theatrics with the finish in sight, Finn Balor scaled to the top ropes and stood tall before leaping into the air off the buckle. Drawing his legs in tight then spearing them straight down running them right through the very soul of Kevin Owens. As the impact hit and Kevin Owens groaned out the crowd went ballistic as Finn made for the cover.

He may have only needed three seconds but never had three seconds seemed so long as he watched the referee move into position so he could see Kevin Owens' shoulders as he started his count. _One!_ Yes, that was it! Finn had him right where he wanted him! _Two!_ Could this be it? Did he have the championship won? _Three!_ He did it, he was the championship and he could barely think through the wave of applause.

As soon as the count was done Finn rolled off Kevin and put his back against the ropes, his head pushed against the middle rope, both hands on his head. Clearly, he was shocked, not that it happened but that it finally happened. Even as the referee pointed to him and the crowd went off like the roof itself was taken off Finn remained frozen, breathing heavily as he came to terms with that he was the champion.

Kevin Owens was a friend of Finn's despite what they had to do here in Japan so with his friend finally getting what he deserved, Kevin rolled out of the ring and staggered up the ramp not wanting to steal any of Finn's moment. Though he did kick the flowers he threw up the ramp at the beginning of the match.

"Finn…" The referee tried to get his attention as the hands and arms of the people went up to the beat of his music. Thankfully he got through to the Irish superstar, now champion and he took the belt where he crouched with it in his hands, looking at the reflection of himself in the gold plated letters of NXT which was fitting because he was now the face of that show. He'd make the people love him.

He got the belt a few beats into his entrance music so he had to wait for the music to build up but when it did Finn ran into the ropes bouncing off them with his torso, throwing a fist pump as everyone cheered. Climbing onto the top buckle Finn stood tall and proud with one hand holding his NXT belt and the other pointing to the sky, motionless in the basking of his victory.

However there was still another match left so Finn knew he had to get out the ring so when he dropped back down to the canvas he moved to the center of the ring and bowed at the waist paying respect to the people who saw him grow from a Prince to an Outlaw of the Club before arriving here champion. Nearly everyone in the arena was cheering, clapping or something like that as Finn rolled out of the ring and walked up the ramp.

It wasn't until he finally pushed the curtain in and stepped out of the eye of the crowd did the sore, tired and sweating Demon transform back into Finn Balor, a man who sighed and let a massive smile fall upon his face he stared down at the belt he had been hunting for the better part of a year. He had been relegated to tag matches and working the lesser talent but he did it all with a smile and now it paid off.

Finn was snapped out of it when a hand came slamming down on his shoulder, gripping it and giving it a squeeze. Slightly startled he looked up but the surprised look could easily be mistaken for fatigue. Who he found in front of him was none other than the face of the company, John Cena who was grinning at him. He was on next so he was getting ready to get out there. "One hell of a match. Congratulations."

"Uh…" Surprised that the top card of the main roster would even go out of his way to talk to a developmental star like him was mind-numbing. Finn might have been friendly to a lot of people but that didn't mean he was dumb. Ever since the Women's Revolution started and Sami and Kevin moved up to working both rosters there was a resentment for how the NXT superstars were pushed to implement fresh blood. "Thanks, John."

"No problem, can't wait to work with you and hopefully soon." After that the two shared a handshake Finn moved on past Cena to where there were WWE officials sitting running the monitors but also there was Cesaro and Neville clapping for him, smirks on their faces.

Grinning cheekily, Finn cocked his head to the side and held out one arm to the side, a grand gesturing motion for sure. "Told ya." He said with a quick wink and bow that made his two friends chuckled.

Bayley came up past the impromptu wall that Neville and Cesaro made and came sliding up right in front of Balor, that warm smile firmly in place. "You rocked out there Finn!" She paused and looked him up and down. He didn't look to beat up but it couldn't hurt to ask him if it was alright first. "Hug?"

"As long as you don't mind the paint and sweat." Yeah, he knew he needed a shower and quickly. Bayley knew the risk and she didn't mind it one bit as she threw her arms around her friend who was no champion and hugged him tight, not caring for the paint that got on her shirt or on the inside of her arms.

Pulling back with a smile, Bayley took her hands and her arms so that she could put them together behind her back. "Congrats, so we get to have a party right?" She asked with a slight smirk.

Cesaro came over and threw an arm over Bayley's shoulder getting both male and female superstar to look over at him as he grinned. "Yeah, you're an Irishman. You were born to party, and you know Japan to boot. Let's do it!"

They had him there so Finn laughed and nodded his head. "Alright, alright… I know when I am outnumbered." Turning to Neville who was watching the whole thing with a smile, Finn asked if he wanted to go with them. "How about you? Up for a night of drinks and friends?"

"I'd love to but I have a meeting tomorrow about some plans they have for later this year or something. Said I'd really want to get in on this even though they won't tell me what yet." It was a big opportunity by the sounds of it though.

"I understand brother. Good luck." Neville nodded and then Finn turned back to Cesaro and Bayley who looked disappointed that he was going to be coming with but were still in good enough moods. "I'll see you two after my shower." With that said Finn moved past them with his newly won belt over his shoulder.

He got to an empty hallway, well not empty if you counted all the equipment, racks, and wooden pallets. He was only about halfway to the locker room he was assigned for the night when he found someone, an actual person there standing on their phone. When she looked up she saw Finn and stood in his way, smirking. "Looks like you weren't all just hot air." It was Sasha Banks.

Looking down at the belt hanging from his hand to the Women's title that was around Sasha's waist and being tapped on by her painted fingernails, Finn smirked at the Boss. "What can I say, Finn and the Demon know how to get the job done. You better be careful Banks because I am coming to be the face of NXT. You had a good run though, what 130 somethin' days?"

Confidence was something Sasha had in abundance, Boss or not and that confidence had her snapping back with the exact amount of days. "143 days actually, thank you." She said with a slight smirk as she stepped one step closer unsnapping the belt and holding up between them. "I am _the_ champ of the show just remember that okay Finn." Her smile was clearly playful but the message was all too serious.

Finn noted he had been laughing a lot today but just chalked that up to him being in a good mood, an especially potent one after claiming his prize. Still chuckling softly, Finn brought a hand up and rubbed the back of his head. "Maybe." He might have had the looks and wrestling ability to be the man but he was just too friendly, too mild-mannered for his own good but there was something drawing about that.

Once the belt was snapped back around her waist, snug and secured she looked at Finn trying not to stare at one spot too long. "On second thought, before you do anything make sure you shower. You smell like sweat and paint." She clearly had no qualms with pointing out the flaws to the new champion.

"Whatever you say _Boss~_ " He quipped back cheekily getting a roll of the eyes and a smirk for his efforts. "See ya back at Full Sail, Sasha," Finn said with a smile walking past Sasha so he could go clean himself.

* * *

There were a few check marks to tend to on his things to do list before he could go out with Bayley and Cesaro. First was getting cleaned and second was getting his stuff back to his hotel room so it'd all be ready for the flight back in the afternoon tomorrow. He had just designed one of his suitcases around the NXT title, like a shrine when his phone went off. Opening it he saw it was a text from Cesaro.

 _From: Cesaro_

 _Hey, Finn, we found a place and ordered a back room for the four of us! Get your ass over here! I linked the address below._

As his eyes scanned over the address provided and he started to walk out of his room in a Bullet Club shirt and jeans, Finn was busy reading the message again. 'Four of us? Does that mean Neville changed his mind? Sweet, too sweet!' Laughing at his own little joke, Finn stepped out of the hotel lobby and fanned down a taxi to drive him to the location in his phone.

The place they chose was only five minutes away luckily so it wasn't too long of a ride. Stepping out of the cab, Finn paid what the man was owed then a bit of a tip before he walked into the bar where a hostess greeted him Japanese. Finn politely asked if a group of three came in a took up a room recently. She, of course, said yes and pointed him where he needed to go.

Two lefts, one down a hallway and then one to put him in the room and Finn found the place he was supposed to be. Right away he saw that Bayley and Cesaro were sitting on opposite ends of a booth with some half-emptied mugs off to the side as they were busy arm wrestling. Next, he noticed that sitting beside Bayley and near the walled side of the booth was Sasha, the fourth Cesaro mentioned.

Before Finn got to say anything Cesaro noticed him and the powerful, Swiss man smiled brightly, distracted from what he was doing. "Look, it's the champ!" There was a slight cheer in his voice showing how happy he was to see his friend. This distraction proved to go against Cesaro when Bayley used the distraction to pin his hand to the table.

The cool wood on the back of his hand reminded Cesaro of what he was doing, and now how he lost. Staring stupidly at the sight of his hand down while Bayley flexed her arm and Sasha laughed, Cesaro could only sigh.

Smirking like the Devil himself, Finn walked on over to the table with his hands in his pockets completing a look of complete ignorance. "Guess you weren't the champ tonight eh?" He couldn't hold it when he heard the laughter of Bayley and Sasha and started to laugh as well.

"You, I'll get to you later Fergal." He said quite seriously, pointing a finger at Finn who continued to look impish despite the warning from his friend. "But first, you and I Bayley have to compete in something else! I want a chance to redeem myself!"

"Well…" Nothing came to her mind at first, at least nothing that sounded appealing. They could of course drink, they were in a bar after all but she didn't want to do that. When she thought she'd have to shrug and surrender the idea she found a dart board. "Darts" And with that, she took off to the empty board with all the enthusiasm in the world.

Cesaro not expecting her to move so suddenly was left behind in a metaphorical cloud of dust and had to catch up. Putting two hands on the table and pushing himself up the larger of the two men pointed at the smaller. "Remember, I'll get you back for this." With his playful warning delivered a second-time Cesaro moved to catch up with Bayley.

Delivering the Bullet Club's gun at Cesaro's back Finn shook his head making Sasha who was still sitting there giggle softly. "Those kids sure have a lot of energy," Finn mumbled softly but loud enough that Sasha heard him as he started to turn around.

Waiting until Finn was properly seated across from her in the booth, Sasha shrugged and gave him a smile. "They did have to watch everyone else wrestle without getting to go out there tonight." She then looked down his chest at his top. "Nice shirt, what happens if you get caught with it on?"

Grinning at the NXT Women's champion, Finn shrugged his shoulders and took a sip of the beer in the mug that was closest to him. "I'm the champ now, I get some immunity right?" Leaning forward and putting one elbow on the table, Finn looked around and scanned the area. "You won't tell on me, will ya?"

Sasha had known Finn a bit as they both ran around NXT, mostly just when she would find Bayley and she'd be talking to Balor so they never hung out too much. But now that she was here with him Sasha could see why those in the locker room liked Finn so much. He could just have a good time. "Hmm, I guess I can keep it quiet but you owe me one now Finn."

And just like that, the two main champions of the developmental program sat at a table talking about anything that crossed their minds. From Sasha asking Finn about his time here in Japan to Finn asking Sasha what inspired the Boss persona and so on. The two were having such a good time that they didn't realize they had spent thirty minutes talking, thirty minutes where the flow of speech was constant, no awkward pauses.

Two people who did notice how Finn and Sasha were speaking, all smiles and friendly laughs were Cesaro and Bayley who had finished their game. The plan was to return to the table but Bayley put a hand on Cesaro's chest stopping him. "Look at those two, thick as thieves already."

Cesaro who managed to tie the contest record up one to one was not paying attention to what was happening at the table until Bayley pulled his attention to what was happening. Not one to really read into these things because he knew how charismatic Finn was, Cesaro shrugged. "So what?"

The so what was that Bayley knew Sasha was getting a bit more reserved in the locker room area with Charlotte and Becky full time on the main roster. She also knew that despite not liking it, that she (being Bayley) could not be around all the time so having Finn around would definitely make Sasha happier if things kept going well, hence her not wanting to interrupt them. "Come on Cesaro. I need some help packing my stuff up."

Still not sure what the Hugger was up to, the bald man looked back at the chatting duo before his eyes fell back to Bayley. "Uh… sure." He really didn't want to head out so early but there was something about Bayley that made people want to say yes, especially when someone knew her on a personal level.

Back at the table, Finn had just asked Sasha what it was like to be able to perform on Smackdown and Raw which of course meant touring all around the country and sometimes outside of the country too. Trying to think of the words she wanted to use, Sasha took a moment but eventually got the right words. "It's crazy. I love NXT but there is nothing compared to thousands of people yelling your name. The electricity of every cheering or jeering fan, then you add in the Pay Per Views and there is nothing like it."

Finn could imagine it, kind of. He had worked plenty of large shows back in New Japan Pro Wrestling but the kind of fans that populated the WWE they were different. They were more rabid, fanatic and provided the most chaotic environment. He could think of two examples right away in the Monday Night Raw after Wrestlemania and then Money in the Bank 2011, in Chicago. "Yeah, you have been pretty popular with the people."

She chuckled almost sheepishly, an action that would be totally out of character for the Boss but out of the workplace, she went by Mercedes or Sasha. "Yeah…" She started only to realize the real meaning behind what he just said. "Wait! You keep up with what's happening on the main roster?"

Finn smirked softly if there had been anyone else in the room they rented then people would have for sure looked their way with how Sasha's voice picked up. "I try my best, especially for you gals and Kevin. All the NXT talent really. You're really on fire particularly though Sasha."

A slightly embarrassed flush took hold of her cheeks as she thought about her current position and how important she became. "It really is crazy. I never imagined in all my wildest dreams back in Ring of Honor that I'd be here."

Blinking, Finn would have pinched himself if he thought about it but right enough the Irishman was too busy leaning in closer to Sasha's red face. "Woah. Is that Sasha Banks, the Boss blushing? Who could have ever guessed!?"

Now she was really embarrassed and in an attempt to salvage some of her pride Sasha put her hand in Finn's face and pushed his head back, way back. "Be careful Finn or I'll put you in the Banks Statement right here. You got me?" She would have felt a lot better about her threat if she couldn't literally feel Finn smiling against her hand.

The Irish demon politely waited until her hand was withdrawn before he spoke but when he did, he did so with his hands up in a makeshift shield. He had his fun and that was all that mattered. "Okay, okay I yield!" He muttered like a defeated warrior.

Sighing, Sasha didn't know that dealing with Finn Balor would be so exhausting but she also noted that she hadn't had this much fun since the last time she hung out with Bayley back in California. 'Speaking of Bayley…' Thinking of her brought the Hugger to her memory which is why she looked around the room.

"Huh, where did they go?" Sasha asked aloud, her musing clearly catching Finn's attention as he too started to look around coming to realize what Sasha already knew.

Pulling out her phone, Sasha checked out the time and saw that it was getting late. She still had to get back to her hotel she might as well head out now. "Looks like they ditched us, Finn. I think I'll head back want to come with?"

Initially, the response was silence and that took Sasha by surprise since Finn had been very conversational with her since he sat down. Taking a look at him more closely she saw that his eyes were anything but focused, his blue eyes cloudy. "Hello, Finn." She repeated, snapping her fingers.

When he finally did react his body jumped slightly along with his eyes suddenly sharpening in on her fingers. Panning his gaze up slowly to where Sasha was looking up with a slight touch of concern, Finn gave her the best smile he had. "I'm alright. I think I'll stay a bit longer though, it was a pretty eventful day."

He didn't ask her to stay or even try to subtly suggest it but there was a part of her that left Sasha feeling that she should stay. Chewing on her lower lip, the NXT Women's Champion mulled over what she wanted to do and in the end, she put her phone down on the table.

Confused because he thought she was heading out, Finn raised a brow and looked on questioningly at Sasha who caught his gaze and smiled. "Well if you are going to hang around I may as well stay out too."

"Wait no, you don't have to because I-" He was cut short when Sasha pulled out a deck of cards from seemingly nowhere and started to shuffle them. So surprised by the presence of such a random thing Finn got distracted from his resistance. "Where did ya get those from?"

"Oh, these?" Sasha retorted with her own question hardly surprised one bit with what she just did. "Bayley brought these to show Cesaro a magic trick and she must have forgotten them in her ditching of us." She finished shuffling the cards, the sound that they were making gone as she smiled mischievously at Finn.

"Poker?"

He certainly had no problem with Poker of Texas Hold 'Em but now hardly seemed the time to play a game of Poker with no stakes. "Why would we play Poker?" His words didn't state it plainly but Sasha got the general idea of what he was asking.

Leaning forward Sasha bridged her fingers together so that she might rest her chin on her fingers, flicking her eyelashes playfully coy. "We are alone you know? So why not strip poker?"

The reaction was just what she was hoping for was because his eyes opened wide, his mouth dropped even wider and a red flush nearly took up his entire face. Now that she saw it first hand she could see the boyish charm and it was cute definitely. The Boss held her composure for a good ten second before she busted out in laughter, her body nearly slumping down far enough to drop her to the floor. Once she finally did get herself under control nearly two minutes later she had to wipe her eyes and take a few deep breaths.

"How about this then… we play five hands. Whoever loses three hands first has to wear the other's merchandise and then tweet a picture of them in the gear." She could already see his eyes being squinted suspiciously at her but she remained smiling, the picture of innocence. "What's wrong, are you scared? Aren't you supposed to have Irish luck?" A little goading wouldn't hurt, or at least she didn't think so.

A fire went through his eyes and his competitive juices got flowing as he took the deck to start dealing it. "Alright, you're on!" In his excitement, his Irish accent came out even thicker which Sasha found a bit charming.

"Hold on! Before we start we have to shake to seal the deal!" She didn't think he'd worm his way out, he didn't seem like that kind of guy but an additional bit of security wouldn't hurt.

Instead of shaking hands Finn held up his left hand and made the _Too Sweet_ gesture he brought back as homage to the Kliq and nWo. It took Sasha a moment because she was so surprised but a smile bloomed on her face as she made her own _Too Sweet_ and pushed it forward to kiss her fingers against Finn's, thus sealing the deal. The Boss might have been the Boss but she had always wanted to do that and now she got the chance to do it with _the_ founder of the Bullet Club she was giddy.

The two went on to play a five hand serious but instead of some kind of epic conclusion where the winner was determined by one card Sasha and won by a large margin. As soon as the results became clear Finn's head dropped and hit the table with a thud. "I can't believe I lost…" The Irishman bemoaned his fate much to the amusement of Sasha Banks.

Unable to help it Sasha patted Finn on the head giggling like wild. "Ain't no shame losing to the Boss, Finn." Of course, her attempt to console him only had Finn groaning, even more, mumbling about his luck leaving him.

He made a bet and that meant if he lost like he did that he had to pay which is why he sucked it up, lifted his head and looked right at Sasha who had a very satisfied and a beautiful smile on her face. Stoic as the Demon inside of him Finn kept staring until the words he thought he wouldn't have to say. "What do I have to do?"

Smirking at her victory, Sasha slowly dragged her tongue over her teeth giving her the look of a predator as she eyed Finn. "Unfortunately I think the shirts might be a bit too tight for you and I don't want to wait till we can snag some gear. You're on the nine am flight back right?" When he nodded she grinned, it was the one she was on too. "Okay, I got it! On the plane, you'll wear my Legit Boss Rings and the shutter shades."

"Right, I'll see you tomorrow then." He grumbled standing up and getting Sasha to do the same. He looked at Sasha and was slightly surprised when she wrapped him up in a hug, her head pushed against his firm chest. "Sasha?"

"This was a lot of fun Finn. Thanks, I really needed it." Sasha knew the stress of going out there and putting on spectacular matches constantly was mounting. This night out that quickly turned to her and Finn talking and having a good time felt like the best kind of stress relief.

Wrapping his arms around her back, Finn gave her a slight squeeze that pulled her in closer to his body. "Sure thing Sasha. I'd say we should do it again but I'll see you on the plane tomorrow." He said with a chuckle getting her to laugh too, ending the night how much of it was spent.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: Don't own anything here.

* * *

Chapter Two:

As she stood there in the airport with a coffee in one hand and a carry-on being pulled by the handle with her second hand, Sasha Banks was really glad she didn't drink a drop of alcohol last night. Too much and she would be walking around and trying to make sure her head wasn't spinning. It was time for the NXT superstars to fly back to the United States and get ready to plan for live Wednesday taping of NXT. Most of the superstars were on the flight but Sasha was waiting for one Finn Balor.

Looking left then looking right, the hair of Sasha Banks whipped from side to side as she searched out Finn Balor. They still had another forty-five minutes before the plane took off so he wasn't late but with Bayley gone on the flight previous, she was hoping to have someone to travel with. Tapping her foot on the ground, Sasha gave a soft frown before taking a sip from her hot drink. "Come on Balor, you better not stand me up."

Then as if on cue, the new NXT Champion came running out from the arrivals section of the airport, with a backpack on his back though when he saw Sasha waiting there and looking annoyed he came to a slowed walk. When he finally made it up to her all Finn could do was chuckle lamely and rub the back of his head. "Hey there Sasha, uh… sorry I'm late." He really wasn't late but the fact that Sasha was waiting made it feel that way.

She wanted to pretend to be mad but Finn was still an entirely thirty minutes early for boarding a flight that only WWE and NXT superstars would take so she couldn't blame him too much. "What took you so long anyway?"

Upon being faced with her question he looked distinctly embarrassed, his face even gathered a bit of red to further progress the look. Unable to help it he chuckled and diverted his eyes to the side. "Would you believe me if I said that I lost my shoes and couldn't find them?"

The sad part about that story is not that he lost them but that she could believe it after texting Bayley this morning about what happened last night, she also learned a bit more about Finn from her best friend. "So let me get this straight… you, the NXT Champion couldn't find your shoes?"

There was something about the way that she said it with his new role in NXT that only served to make the situation worse for the already embarrassed Finn who was now blushing deeper. "Yes, that's what happened." He mumbled lowly.

"That's just… just brilliant!" In no way or fashion could Sasha hold it back so with the hand she was using to pull her luggage, she covered her mouth and muffled the soft sound of laughter coming from her, thankfully the jostling wasn't enough to spill her hot drink

Needing space to compose himself because doing so with Sasha laughing at him would be impossible, Finn brushed by the laughing Boss towards where he needed to go to board the airplane. When Sasha realized Finn was going by her she turned around and called out to his back. "Hey hold up!" Because he didn't slow down she had to break a jog to make ground on him.

Dropping her coffee cup into the appropriate disposal as they stepped into the bridge to the plane side by side, Sasha turned her head and looked at Finn with a small smirk on her lips. "Ready to follow through with the deal?" She asked as they stepped on the plane.

Finn so used to going towards the back with the rest of the superstars was stopped when Sasha put a hand on his shoulder and turned him to face her, a look of confusion on her face. "Where are you going?"

On the WWE planes for shows, the non-champion talent would go to the normal class ticket seats and the champions had free reign from normal seats to first class. In Sasha's case she'd often just go back to the normal seats because Bayley would be there but with Bayley not there and Finn a champion they could go to the much more luxurious first class. For Finn, it was just so second nature to go that way.

"To my seat?" He replied back with a slight questioning to his tone, unsure of what she was going on about.

"Oh no, you aren't, not those ones at least. Come on, I'll show you how it is to fly like a Boss." She said with a smirk. With her statement hanging in the air, she turned and took Finn by the hand so that she could both walk and pull Finn into first class. The difference between the rows of seats in normal seating and first class was immediate. There were no seats but rather couches with seatbelts for takeoff and landing.

There were even three of the small containers and fridges that the flight attendants had access to for them to use at their leisure. "Is this the same plane?" Finn asked in a joking manner as he was allowed to walk on his own after Sasha let go of his hand. They sure didn't have planes like this in NJPW.

Laughing, Sasha put herself in the center of one of the couches, sitting cross legged with her bag on the couch too, right next to her. She'd put the belt on when it was time to take off but they had a good half an hour to spend before that. "This is the only way a Boss knows Finn," Sasha said with that smirk made for the screen, confident and dangerous.

Plopping down and sinking into the couch that was much comfortable than the typical plane chair Finn sighed as he stretched his legs out, wiggling his toes in his shoes. "Then I better get used to it too because I'll be the Boss soon enough." The smirk on his face was clearly a challenge but the way Sasha smiled made it feel like he already lost.

"Funny you should say that." Sasha then quickly went to her bag and opened it up, quickly producing her NXT Women's Championship that she promptly placed on the opposite side of her on the couch. "Did you bring the belt?"

Grinning, Finn rubbed at the space between his nose and upper lip before nodding his head yes. "Didn't want to leave it with my other luggage." He then reached over and opened his bag to pull out the freshly shined and cleaned belt. "Just don't want to leave it out of my sight or person, ya know?"

Sasha immediately nodded her head; the first time she won any championship WWE or else wise she treated the belt like a baby. Never was it too far from her and the same could be said for the Women's title she had now. Standing up Sasha moved so she was in front of the Irishman. She motioned for him to stand up as well which he did. Finn did as she asked and then Sasha held a hand out. "Let me see the title for a moment?"

"Promise to give it back?" He asked almost childishly, blue eyes squinting at Sasha as if he tried to stare through her soul to find the truth. Finn honestly didn't think that she was going to take it from him but just handing it over was boring.

Not even blinking at his question, Sasha with a smile raised her hand making a _Too Sweet_ with her fingers and holding it up for Finn to match. Grinning Finn matched her gesture before handing her the NXT Title.

"Thank you," She said with a chime to her voice as she took the belt and pulled it around so that the studded ends were behind Finn's neck. When she snapped the belt so it was secure, she smiled and adjusted the belt so that it fell onto his chest, hanging like a chain of sorts. "A bit more to finish it off." Whirling around in her excitement, she bent over in front of Finn digging through her bag.

Finn had to force himself to look away, force his eyes up from where he could see Sasha's backside filling out her jeans and quite nicely he noted for the brief moment he looked. Thankfully for his inner will, the temptation was quickly removed when Sasha turned back around with her 'Legit Boss' rings and shades. "Here put these on!" The Women's Champion was so excited she was nearly ready to jump up and down.

Putting the rings on and then the glasses that were a deep red, Finn looked at Sasha from behind the glasses and asked how he looked. "Well you could do with one of my shirts but none of the ones I have with me would fit so this will have to do. Give me your phone so I can take the picture." The Irishman quickly complied with her demand and handed her his phone after he unlocked it of course.

Sasha took a step back to make sure Finn was in frame for the photo. The Boss was pleased that she didn't even need to instruct Finn what to do because he already had his head slightly tilted to the side, the rings 'Legit' and 'Boss' put together over his chest and just below the belt. "That's amazing." She couldn't help but comment as she snapped the picture.

He couldn't help but chuckle as he received his phone. Bringing up Twitter on his phone, Finn attached the photo and put in a quick little one-liner. It went a little something like this…

 _Hey SashaBanksWWE, am I Boss enough yet?_

As soon as he posted it out there for the entire internet to explode over Sasha felt how her phone vibrated in her pocket letting her know that someone she was following had mentioned her on the social media site. Of course, she couldn't respond to right away she needed to give it time to simmer and make the rumor mill run wild. That was part of the fun anyway.

"Oh boy, that should make things fun when I open Twitter again." It seemed like Finn was of the same mind as Sasha, a bit of internet troll in him. Balor made sure he gave her back the rings and glasses since they were hers and just in time, because a few minutes later and the pilot's voice came through the speakers telling everyone that takeoff was about to happen and to buckle up.

Finn dropped down onto his couch much like Sasha did and both of them made sure their belts were secured, neither wanting to risk injury now that they had their spots earned. Tapping his foot on the carpeted floor of the plane, Finn took up the conversation. "What do you think they have planned back at Full Sail?" Less than twenty-four hours from his win and he was already looking to the future. That is who Finn Balor is.

Sasha shrugged as she looked from Finn to out the window on her side, watching how the ground and sky started to move around the plane. "Your guess is as good as mine. They haven't told me anything either. I'm sure we'll get some answers when we get back to the facility."

* * *

Much like the night before the rest of the plane ride and then subsequent car ride to the performance center was spent in a friendly atmosphere between Finn and Sasha. Right now both were walking through the halls of the performance center to meet Regal in his office. "So how many times did I beat you and rock, paper, scissors again?" Just from the sly tone of his voice, it was clear he already knew the answer but wanted to hear Sasha say it.

Not happy about being reminded of it and even less thrilled that she lost a competition, Sasha mumbled the answer under her breath hoping Finn might not catch, but he did. "Twenty to eleven." Her pause was just long enough for Finn to sneak in a laugh. "But you still owe me one Balor, remember that."

Their banter was cut short when they both arrived at the door to Regal's office. Finn taking the step ahead of Sasha to take the door and open for her. "After you" He insisted, smiling a charming smile that could win over nearly anyone who saw it.

Grinning at Finn's behavior, Sasha stepped confidently through the doorway like she expected the door to be held open for her. Once she was through the door Finn stepped in letting the door close behind him. It was at this point that William Regal, the on screen General Manager for NXT and its creator Triple H spoke, first it was Triple H. "It's good to see you two again. Finn good work on winning your first NXT title. I'm sure it will be a long, successful one."

"As such we have created a bit of new merchandise for our new champion." William Regal's English accent created a bit of anticipation. From behind the desk, Regal produced a leather jacket with a flared collar and on the back of it the words _Balor Club_ and beneath that in smaller letters _Worldwide_. "We already had the Shop Twitter send out a tweet. Why not have another club, Finn?"

Finn looked down at the jacket with a bit of an open mouth, this was just another piece of reward for all his hard work, and just like the belt before it almost didn't feel like it was real. Taking the new merchandise a bit tentatively into his hands, Finn's look of surprise became a smirk as he slid into the jacket and popped the collar.

His fellow champion looked at him from the side and smiled. It was good to see Finn getting what he deserved after what he risked to come here. "Looks good on you Finn." The roguish look it gave him was almost not fair.

Watching the scene unfold before him with the pride similar to that of a Father, Triple H couldn't help but smile but he could feel good about his work here later. There was business to attend to first. "And you Sasha, you did excellent work making the other ladies look strong on the Live Events leading up to Sunday."

"People all across social media, wrestling forums and podcasts alike are talking about two things. The Demon and The Boss. So we figured why not give them what they want?" From how smooth the two switched on and off made it all too clear they had practiced this, rehearsed it. "With Charlotte, Becky, and Kevin all moving on to the main roster we need something good to keep NXT pumping so we are putting you two together in a storyline."

The smiles that both the Game and the GM wore on their faces told of how proud they were to be able to put this together on one day's notice but Finn and Sasha were still coming to terms with what this all meant. "You mean…"

Whatever Finn was about to say was cut off when an irate Sasha Banks strode up to the desk and slammed her hands on the desk, a look of anger on her face. "You want to put us in some shitty romance work? I didn't work my ass off for over the past two hundred days to become a damsel! What the hell Hunter!" In the heat of the moment, she wasn't even thinking about Finn who was standing right there. She was too busy defending the body of work she busted her ass to create.

Triple H was fully ready for such an outburst and the fact that he stared right into the rage of his Women's Champion without so much as flinching was proof to that. "Calm down and let me explain more about this. We know all about how horribly this failed on the main roster but here Sasha we have more freedom to work. We don't need you to be the damsel and Finn the shining knight."

He paused to see if anything he was saying had even gotten through to Sasha and thankfully she had seemed to calm down enough to hear what he was saying. Nodding he motioned with his hand to belt around her waist. "I'm not making you some helpless Princess. In fact, I am giving you both free reign of how to run this."

Though she was more open to the idea hearing that she was still not fully sold that this was the right thing to do with her career. "What if I say no?" Sasha dared to ask, the Boss leaking out to confront the authority figures behind her.

Regal was quick and brutal with the answer. "We will bury you on the rest of the cards that you spend here in NXT, putting over the other women who will be working here for the foreseeable future."

She was a main event star. She knew it and so did everyone else so living in mediocrity would have been worse than being fired in some ways. Seeing no other way than to agree, Sasha sighed and dropped her head. "Fine, I'll do it."

That was one-half of the two that Triple H needed so naturally next he went to Finn with his gaze hoping to find a reaction. What he got though was Finn staring dead ahead with a cold, emptied look in his blue eyes. "What about you Finn?"

All it took was for Hunter to say his name for Sasha's heart to stop for a moment. She had totally forgotten about the silent man beside her during her little explosion, an explosion that could be taken as an insult to him. They had been getting along so well over the past two days that she honestly wanted to keep it that way, despite what she said in the heat of her anger 'Shit' Was all she could think as she tried to glean something from his detached expression.

His silence left everyone wondering what was going through his mind, even Triple H who's confident smirk was starting to turn into a frown. Eventually, he let everyone in on his inner workings when he said quietly, "I'll do it, Hunter. Do you mind if I go now?"

Used to the energetic, happy to be there Finn both Regal and Hunter shared a slightly concerned glance. Sash was a bit more obvious with her worry as she openly looked at Finn with a soft frown pulling down on her lips. "Sure Finn be ready for the taping tomorrow for NXT on Wednesday." Finn simply nodded his head then turned to leave the room, silently.

Sasha spared one last look at Triple H and Regal who both looked equally as confused and concerned about their champion before she hurried out the door trying to catch up to him. Luckily he didn't get far and she was able to catch up to him. "Finn wait!" She called out to him, thankful that the hallway was empty.

Taking a breath, the NXT Champion slowly turned around to face Sasha. "Did you need something?" He asked politely, his eyes coming back with some focus as he looked into hers.

After spending so much time laughing, joking, and just hearing him say her name… the way he greeted her just now felt wrong. The warmth of hanging out Finn was replaced with cold, stoicism that made her feel like she had goosebumps. "About what I said in there," She was cut short from getting to apologize when Finn spoke up.

"Listen, I just… I just need some time alone." His voice was forceful at first; it had to be so that he could assert himself and say what he wanted to say. When he got the chance his tone went quiet again not wanting her to think he was yelling.

Even though her face wasn't happy there was still some hope in it… or there was until Finn made his request. Shoulders dropping much the same to the expression on her face, Sasha couldn't even look him in the face. "I understand."

Nodding although she couldn't see it, Finn said nothing more as he turned around and walked down the hallways in silence, his blue eyes cast down to the floor just before his feet. When he made it to the locker room part of the performance center Finn closed the door behind him. He didn't slam it, he closed it and in doing so he put himself in the room alone.

Slowly trudging over the long bench that was in front of each locker, Finn took his NXT belt off and folded the leather straps behind the belt so all that was facing him was the gold plating that reflected his own pained expression back at him. "I thought working for this meant that I was going to be the guy. I spent this whole year teaming with Hideo and being beaten around by the Ascension believing that but here I am a co-star again."

Just before Finn could ask himself if he made the right decision to come here instead of staying in Japan. "Come in!" He had to raise his voice so that it cut through the door but in spite of that, he never took his eyes off the gold, staring at it for so long he lost the details of his reflection on the gold.

When the door opened it was Triple H that walked in with his suit coat on and the dress shirt beneath it, three buttons open. He quickly spotted Finn sitting there looking almost lost. Without thinking twice he moved over and sat beside the Irishman. "What's wrong Finn? What happened in there?" He asked making reference to the meeting in the office from minutes earlier.

A large part of him wanted to keep this insecurity shoved deep inside, right next to where he hid his Demon yet here was one of his idols and his boss taking time from his schedule to check on him. So he decided to let it out, coming clean with a small, disappointed sigh. "When I won this I thought I'd be the star. That's what this means right? If that is so then why am I working in the shadow of someone else again?"

He wasn't necessarily angry with what he had to do or even angry at Triple H for putting him here. When he asked these questions it was more like he was looking for some kind of advice from a mentor. "So that is what this is about?" Hunter asked just to be sure and Finn nodded his head that yes it was.

"Finn, I know something about what you are feeling right now." Surprised at the admission, Finn looked at Hunter with eyes slightly wide. "I worked in a group with Shawn Michaels, a man larger than life. At some point in time, I was sure he was the center of the universe and not the sun. I love Shawn to death and back but I knew that I needed to step out of that shadow he cast, I needed it to grow as a performer."

"Now I won't put you to sleep with my story. Let's talk about yours instead. Right now we need both you and Sasha to make NXT stronger so that later on down the road you can carry this vision of mine on your shoulders. Going out there every night to kick ass, signing autographs… all that. So what you might have to spare some tapings of NXT but you are still the champ and that ain't changing." Wrapping an arm around Finn's shoulders, Triple H pulled him in and gave him a one-armed hug. "As much as I hate saying this now… this is best for business."

That overused line got a chuckle from both of them, a sign that Finn's spirits had been picked up again. Smiling as he got back onto his feet, the Chief Operating Officer moved back towards the door. "I know you and Sasha will tear this place down." With that final vote of confidence, he left Finn to his own devices.

Breathing out a huge sigh Finn leaned all the way back into the open, wooden box that was a locker. "He's right…" A part of him already knew that of course but the small chat with Hunter uncovered that part of him.

His attention was diverted to his pocket when his phone vibrated. Pulling out the mobile device he saw the notification was from Twitter. When he opened it up he saw it was Sasha quoting his tweet from the plane with three of the hearts for eyes emojis being what she added to it. It was so silly but he couldn't help but smile as he closed down the app.

* * *

At Full Sail University, some four hundred people who had filled the audience were waiting for something to happen because when the time on the Titantron until show time ticked down to all zeroes instead of the show starting everything went dark. It got to the point where the people in the front row couldn't even see the ring. Excited and more anxious by the moment, the crowd did the only thing they could, cheer _NXT_ so loud it felt like the building was shaking.

As if on cue, like those running it knew this would happen, a blue spot light came down from the rafters and hit the ring, illuminating the black canvas. The light also showed Finn Balor standing there in a black suit, dress shirt, pants and shoes with a smirk on his face and the NXT title in his hands. Of course seeing their new champion, the Demon standing there holding his made them take their noise to the next level. The cheers of _NXT_ turned to his name and Finn Balor let his head back savoring the moment.

Knowing he had a promo to deliver to still he put the belt down in the center of the ring, leaving it to catch the light from above giving it the gleam fitting of a holy grail. Finn walked to the corner of the ring and got himself a microphone before walking back to the center of the ring, standing there with his belt in front. "My name is Finn Balor and I am the man that slew the unbeatable Kevin Owens and took his NXT championship!"

The crowd absolutely ate up that Finn played on the fact that so many called the former champion unbeatable. Such was the wall of noise that he had to pause and let the crowd cheer themselves down to a quieter level of noise but even in saying nothing Finn was having a blast out there in the ring. "That's right, I am your champion and let me tell you something." His Irish accent cut through the sound and hushed everyone who wanted to hear what he said. "You haven't seen anything yet."

Here Finn reached down and threw his belt over his shoulder, rolling his shoulder until the belt was nice and properly displayed over the black of his clothing. "By the time I'm done here NXT will be _the_ show in town, not just the developmental lands. By the time I am done here I will be the best champion you had ever seen!"

An interruption of a promo was nothing new in the wrestling world so when music started to play and the lights came up the crowd shouldn't have been surprised but they were because it was none other than the NXT Women's Champion Sasha Banks who came out to a mixture of boos and cheers which of course for Heel was rather impressive. Slow and deliberate Sasha lifted her shades up and put them atop her head. Smirking, Sasha kept her eyes on Finn who kept his ground in the middle of the ring as she made her way down the ramp.

When she made it on top of the apron she turned to look at Finn from over her shoulder. With the hand that wasn't holding onto the ropes and a smirk on her painted lips, the Boss almost shooed Finn back. It wasn't until Finn stepped back did she turn to the crowd, lean forward and do her slight circular swing, holding her 'Boss' ring out so everyone knew who she was. Someone quickly handed her a mic and then she got into ring.

"It's cute that you think you can come here and change things but let me give you a bit of friendly advice since you're clearly new to the whole champion thing. You will never be the best anyone has ever seen because they have already seen the best, they have seen the Boss!" Some cheered Sasha while others booed for the disrespect shown to Finn Balor, which was exactly what she wanted.

Sasha took a step closer, asserting, even more, control over the situation be it legitimate or made up in her own mind; it really didn't matter which one it was because she believed it was control she had and her attitude and demeanor showed it. "As a matter of fact, you are lucky I am even letting you share my ring right now."

"Sasha Banks, the Boss!" Finn said into microphone with a slight nod of his head, gesturing to said woman with his free hand which Sasha, of course, nodded to holding her arms out which only prompted the crowd to react, and loudly. "Let me introduce myself. My name's Finn Balor, the Demon. I wasn't afraid of Kevin Owens. I wasn't afraid of the monsters overseas…" There was no hiding that he was talking about his time in Japan which the hardcore fans ate up. "And I am certainly not afraid of you!"

Sasha had to be quick with a response or else the promo would lose its steam. Mouthing a quick sorry before she did it, Sasha did the only thing the Boss would do when being disrespected like that. She reacted with an open handed slap that caught Finn flush on the cheek and completely silenced the crowd who held their breath to see what would happen next.

The red print on his cheek was pretty damn obvious but Finn wouldn't let the sting show on his face other than the slight rolling of his jaw and the single blink. Both had been doing this long enough to know how much time it took for a mic to go dead so when it was safe to do so both dropped their mics and stared down the other.

"Hold it, hold it!" Rushing out onto the ramp was William Regal who sought to play the role of management and defuse the situation that Finn and Sasha created. "Finn, Sasha… the two of you say that you're the best. We'll there are some people who think both of you don't deserve your spot. Tonight you'll be in a Mixed Tag Match against Emma and Baron Corbin. Now you can prove who is better." Shaking his head with a sigh, Regal hoped Triple H didn't make a mistake not giving them a script to follow.

Now that they weren't on microphone and circling each other just running their mouths, Finn decided he'd try to ease some of her worry about what happened yesterday. "Just so you know, I'm not mad at you about yesterday."

For a moment, just a moment Sasha's eyes widened in surprise. After she sent out her reply tweet to him and he didn't respond she thought he might have been at least annoyed with her, at least. Remembering she was in the ring, in front of an audience, Sasha's confident grin came back in place as she nodded her head. "That's a relief."

"Yikes, though. A little warning before a wallop like that huh?" It was difficult to say if he was trying to be as ridiculous as he sounded but with his Irish accent and the choice of words he picked Sasha almost cracked on the spot and started to giggle.

Knowing she needed to get out of there and quick before the Boss began to giggle, something the Boss didn't do, Sasha with her back to ramp took a step back from Finn and towards the ropes. With her hand in his face, fingers sprawled out to properly give him the hand to the face, Sasha shook her head. "Later Balor"

The Irish born NXT Champion waited until she was out of the ring and going up the ramp before he turned back to the crowd and simply held the title high above his head eliciting a wave of applause from the NXT universe. They may have only been four hundred something strong but they knew how to bring the noise. Giving them all one last grin before walking back up the ramp and through the curtain, Finn finally let out an _Ouch_.

He didn't have to walk long to find someone waiting in the hallways. Who he found was Sasha and Bayley talking… or at least Bayley talking energetically while Sasha listened, smiled and added what she wanted when appropriate. "Why didn't you tell me you and Finn were going to be working together!?" She had found out with the rest of those in the back when they watched the opening segment between Finn and Sasha. It was short, sweet and unexpected.

Rubbing her forehead, Sasha shook her head slightly. She loved Bayley, she really did but sometimes she got so energetic and so loud without being able to help herself. It was endearing when it wasn't annoying. "We both just found out yesterday, and we had to do the show today so it would be ready for tomorrow. What did you expect?"

She had a point and Bayley knew as much but that didn't mean she liked being out of the loop, and she let Sasha know as much as she crossed her arms over her chest and sucked in one cheek. "Yeah, well I don't like it one bit. You could have at least sent me a text Sash!"

Bayley had Sasha cornered there but what was she supposed to say? Was she supposed to outright say she was distracted about working a growing relationship angle with Finn only to indirectly insult him? She didn't want to sound like a schoolgirl. She wasn't a schoolgirl, she's the Boss! "Sorry Bay, sorry. I was distracted."

Inquisitive by nature was Bayley, only more so when it was friend that had her in such a way, the Hugger needed to know what was happening and was ready to push the issue till she got the answers Sasha didn't want to give. However, she didn't get the chance as Finn came walking up on the two. "You ladies look like you're having a good time!"

"Finn!" Delighted to see another one of her good friends, Bayley's eyes lit up with happiness as she skipped to him and wrapped him up in a tight hug that had Finn smiling as he wrapped an arm around her in return. "Sasha got you good with that slap huh?"

The grin that was on his face was knocked off when he winced, bringing a hand up to rub at his cheek. Maybe it was mind playing tricks on him but once Bayley mentioned it could swear he felt the sting again. "Yeah packed a punch alright." Finn directed a clear glance at Sasha who merely shrugged and gave him a playful wink.

"Sasha nice touch on that Tweet by the way. Definitely got the people going." Finn said with a chuckle that was matched by the Women's Champion who took a bow like a magician who had pulled the wool over the eyes of their captive audience.

As one of those people who got their leg pulled by the combined efforts of Finn and Sasha, and not knowing how that picture came to be Bayley was just as blindsided by the photo. But once the shock wore off she was happy to see some of her favorite people getting closer. "Were you guys trying to break the wrestling world? Finn that picture already has like 22,000 likes and 13,000 retweets!"

"And here I was hoping for somewhere around 18,000 retweets." He mumbled sounding both disappointed but amused by Bayley's reaction. His words also got a slight chuckle from Sasha while Bayley just shook her head. "Well, you two have fun. I'll see you later Boss." Finn said with a wave as he continued on to his dressing room.

* * *

Up to this point, the show had been a rousing success so far with some high-quality matches that would serve to boost NXT rating through the coming weeks. They had the most popular Tag Team, Enzo and Cass defeat Blake and Murphy. That was followed with fan favorite winning a match against Dana Brooke. Then after that, it was no-contest brawl between Kevin Owens the former champion and Samoa Joe. And now they had the Main Event of the night where both the NXT and NXT Women's Champion in action.

Baron Corbin and Emma had already been introduced and were waiting for their targets, the ones they'd use to make a name for themselves. For Baron, it was about putting down Balor, showing the Demon that being new and painting himself up didn't make him anything but a fluke. For Emma, it was about teaching Sasha Banks respect, respect for someone who had been there since before NXT was an actual roster.

 _From Boston, Massachusetts, she is the NXT Women's Champion! Sasha Banks!_

The custom made track for Sasha Banks hit and the crowd both cheered and booed but the more that Sasha performed in front of the eyes of the world the more boos that became cheers. Strolling right up to the center of the ramp, Sasha put her 'Legit' and 'Boss' rings together in front of her face as she swayed left and right, her vibrant hair flowing along with her. When her hands came down she pulled her shades down and looked over them at the two opposing her in the ring. Shaking her head dismissively, Sasha dropped her glasses as she walked down the ramp stopping just at ringside.

Emma who was waiting in the ring walked right up to the ropes and brought her hands up motioning for the Boss to get herself in the ring. "Come on Boss, get your ass in here!" Having the big Lone Wolf behind her certainly made the Aussie lady wrestler much bolder.

Outright laughing at her was Sasha, smiling a smile that was equal parts dangerous and beautiful. Taking her left hand and pointing at the back of her right wrist she shook her head continuing to mock her challenger. "Not yet, we do things on my time!"

Next came her partner, walking through a cloud of smoke and beams of light was Finn Balor, hand over his mouth and eyes squinted as he sized up those in the ring, the smoke around him cascaded and enshrouded the NXT Champion as he pulled out on the collar of leather jacket.

 _And her partner, from Bray, County Wicklow, Ireland. He is the NXT Champion, Finn Balor!_

The ring announcer got done in the nick of time too because the music hit that spot where Finn threw his arms up lighting the arena up and showing off everyone around him was doing the same, a sea of Balor followers, people who'd soon be in his club, the Balor club. Although it just happened when Finn spun around showing off the back of his new jacket the crowd threw their arms up again with Finn Balor.

Settled at the bottom of the ramp, Sasha Banks, his teammate had her hip cocked to the side as she waited for him to finally come up next to her. "Ready to go hotshot?" She asked with a slight smirk, one that was matched by her fellow champion.

Backstage and off screen Finn might have been as easy-going a person as there was but here in his natural environment, his confidence was second to none, even the Boss. "Always" And as soon as that word left his mouth Finn and Sasha shot into the ring, foregoing the steps in favor of sliding in so they could stand face to face with their challenger.

There was no more music, no more lighting tricks just two men and two women standing across from each other not willing to back down an inch even as the referee who was between the four demanded they go to their corner. Emma and Sasha were busy jawing off to the other and Corbin was trying to do the same with Finn but all he got was the cool stare of the creator of the Bullet Club.

Pulling the Legit Boss shirt she wore to the ring off and throwing it in the face of Emma, Sasha's mouthing got louder and more personal. Her disrespect to Emma nearly set off the Australian woman who had to be held back but after that incident... everyone was ready to go. As the two ladies in the match took their spots on the apron while neither Finn or Baron moved from where they were rooted.

"I'm going to break you in half boy. Then I am going to take your belt." His height, his nasty snarl along his wet hair might have given him an intimidating look to the enhancement talent but Finn Balor was far from fearful and showed that when he shook his head at the man. Seeing red Baron rushed forward and locked up with Balor, hands on Finn's shoulders using his superior height and strength to not only push Finn back but to also deliver sharp knees to the gut and ribs.

After the second rising knee strike, the NXT Champion had to groan out from the blows that were rattling his ribs. When Finn was shoved back into an empty corner he thought he might have a moment of reprieve but it was here that Baron decided to try and relive his days as a boxer lighting up Finn with a serious of body blows.

Finn could hear the ref going on with his count and knew he just had to hold on so that is what he did, using his arms to cover up from the barrage of blows. When the fists stopped thanks to the referee getting between the two Balor sucked in some much-needed air. This time when the bigger man came forward Finn met him with a knife edge chop that cut through the air when it hit Corbin's chest, the pain making the man growl.

Seeing what little effect the chop had he tried and connected with another one but again all Corbin did was shake it off before forcefully slamming him back into the corner. Unlike before, Corbin's blows came down faster and more violent. From where he was getting mauled Finn could hear Sasha yelling for him to do something other than getting punched.

Annoyed that he had to force the Lone Wolf from the corner again, the man in stripes' count was much quicker this time. When he got to near four the referee again forced himself between the two superstars until Baron Corbin relented. "Hey, when I say get him out of the corner you do it! Got it?"

Waving both hands at the referee which was basically him saying Fuck Off, the aggressor pushed past the official ready to pummel more on the new NXT Champion. At the same time that Corbin's fist cocked back, Finn put a hand on the rope beside him and used it to deliver a jumping kick that landed flush on the side of Baron's face dropping the big man to a knee while he tried to shake off the ringing sound in his ear.

Scaling to the top buckle with an opportunity to bring up the pace, he was ready to come crashing down onto Corbin. Corbin felt this coming however and rolled out of the ring to the side where his partner Emma was on the apron pointing at Finn who turned from the ring to the outside of it where the Lone Wolf was busy bragging to the fans about how smart he was. Fully expecting Finn to be waiting in the ring for him, when he turned there was no time to get out of the way as the NXT Champion came crashing down onto him, driving him to floor outside of the ring.

Up on his feet like a cat, Finn stood over Baron with an expression of the utmost seriousness as he gestured for the crowd to pick it up. Emma thought she'd be smart and try to get a shot from behind but the moment Finn turned around she took scampering off to the side of the ring that was not the one Finn was patrolling. Turning back around to where Baron Corbin was starting to stir, Finn put all of Corbin's weight on his shoulder as he drove Corbin's lower back into the ringside.

Balor rolled into the ring and was ready to roll back out to continue to pay back some of the punishment he took for the first three minutes of the bout but stopped hearing Sasha calling out to him. "Finn tag me!" Reluctant to give up control because he wanted that payback for the stiff strikes but in the end conceded.

[i]Tag!

Through the middle and top rope came in Sasha making her way to the center of the ring to meet Emma on a collision course. The Boss was quicker as she knocked Emma to the mat with a clothesline. "Come on, get up!" Emma did just that only to get knocked back down via a second short arm clothesline. It was the third one that made the ropes shake from the impact of her hitting the canvas.

"You wanted to go at the Boss huh? Step up then!" Playing the ever vocal Heel-Face hybrid Sasha continued to back up her character with some smack talk to the woman who wanted her spot. Dragging Emma back to her feet by the hair, Sasha ignored the referee's warning about her doing as she brought Emma to the ropes. Following what Finn did early Sasha delivered chop after chop to the chest of her opponent knocking the air from her lungs each time.

Desperate to stop the momentum Sasha Banks had created by coming in like her hair was on fire, Emma reached out took two handfuls of Sasha's long hair and used it to force down the NXT Women's Champion to the ground, bouncing her head off the mat. Grimacing in pain, both of Sasha's hands came up to hold her head that was already throbbing.

Emma had just finished nursing away the stinging pain on her chest and snarled down at the form of Sasha Banks. With no thoughts of kindness going through her mind, Emma delivered kick after kick into the ribs of the Boss until she curled up. Now it was Emma's turn to pull Sasha up by the hair, dragging her onto her knees. "You're not the Boss! You're fake, do you hear me? A fake!" She screamed right into Sasha's face before unloading with a massive slap that left the Full Sail crowd gasping.

Taking a sense of delight in the way she got to shut up both the loud mouthed Sasha Banks and her fans, Emma stepped into the center of the ring and held her arms out basking in the boos. When she started to turn she saw Finn standing there she smirked and held up an L to her forehead, laughing.

Not forgetting about Sasha, she marched right to where Sasha had made it back to a knee and grabbed her by the hair making the Women's Champion look up at her. "I'm the Boss Sasha, me!" The Australian woman was ready to deliver another open handed slap but Sasha beat her to it, striking harder and faster. In fact, she hit with so much force that it actually managed to make Emma do an entire three hundred and sixty-degree spin.

Back on her feet and immediately on the attack, Sasha slammed Emma head first into the top turnbuckle three times before landing a standing drop kick that spiked Emma's chest into corner. By the time she rebounded back Sasha had already wrapped her arms around the neck of Emma yanking her down into a backstabber that she then transitioned into the Banks Statement, wrenching the neck.

Confident she had the win, Sasha pulled Emma back even more so that more pressure was put on her neck and shoulders. When she saw movement from the corner of her eyes her head naturally turned and she saw Corbin on the apron trying to reach for her head from over the ropes. 'The hell is he doing this isn't an intergender match!'

Just when she thought she'd need to release the hold a shadow went over both her and Emma and the next thing she knew Finn was there flying over the top rope, his arm wrapped around Baron as he twisted and threw them both to the floor with a Slingblade. Unable to help herself at what she saw the Boss spoke up in a slight shock. "Holy shit…" And no sooner did Emma tap and the bell rang.

Releasing the hold and kicking Emma out of her ring, Sasha in full Boss mode got to her feet and stood in the middle of the ring yelling about how she was the one who ran things here all while pointing at the mat at her feet.

Finn had just made it back to his feet after taking that dive to the ground with Baron Corbin and he could already feel the knot built up in his shoulder closer to center of his back than the actual shoulder. Taking the two belts from the ref with a nod, Finn rolled into the ring getting the attention of Sasha who turned to look at him as he held her belt out.

She looked at Finn without budging an inch, smirking at her partner who was still waiting for her take her belt. "The Boss doesn't do things like that. Put the belt on me." It was tough to say if anyone heard what she said besides Finn. That being said the only reason Finn didn't laugh or break out into laughs was the fact there was an entire live crowd and one later on the network that would see this.

Dropping his belt to the canvas Finn walked behind Sasha and wrapped the belt around her waist, snapping it secure. As he did that Sasha stood there with a pleased smile and her hands in the air signaling everyone to what was happening, saying loud enough for the cameras to pick "Yeah that's right."

While everyone was busy focusing on what was happening in the ring and rightfully so considering how rarely things like this happened, Sasha spoke in a whisper so only Finn would be able to hear what she said this time. "By the way Finn, that leap outside was amazing."

"I wasn't going to let that walking oaf try anything with you, but thanks." His words were said with such natural grace that it could only be the truth. It was a good thing the cameras went off just then because she couldn't help but blush at his words. Once she settled down and before they left the ring, Sasha took Finn's wrist and raised both their arms together, a treat for the live crowd who absolutely loved it.

This was going to be a fun program.


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: Don't own the stuff here.

* * *

Chapter Three:

Finn and Sasha had just walked through the curtain and out from under the ever watchful eye of the WWE fans and were free to be more themselves. Groaning, Finn put a hand on his ribs and shook his head, trying to shake away the pain. At the moment, every time he tried to pull in a breath it felt like his ribs were being ripped at by hand or foot.

Sasha obviously heard the sound of discomfort coming from the man beside her and turned her head to look at him, checking to see if he had anything obviously wrong with him. There wasn't anything that she could see but that didn't mean he wasn't in some kind of discomfort or pain. "You alright?"

Opening the eye that shut in the grimace that took hold of his face, Finn gave Sasha a warm smile. Yes, sure, it had to be forced out but that didn't make his smile any less genuine because he did appreciate the concern. "I will be with some rest and ice. Corbin hits like a truck, stiff." He'd make sure to remember that the next time he had the displeasure of being in the ring with the larger man.

"Ugh, don't remind me." Taking her hand off the top of her belt, the Boss lifted said hand and moved the pointer and thumb on her right hand to try and rub soothing circles into where she felt the pulsating pain. Only a few minutes out since it happened and she could already tell she'd have a killer headache. "That bitch dribbled my head off the mat."

Glancing at the red haired woman with a headache from the corner of his eye, Finn couldn't help but smirk as his prankster side started to bubble up to the surface, unable to be contained. "Awh, do you want me to kiss it and make it all better?" Finn asked in the typical sing song voice one had when teasing another person.

Not nearly as amused as her partner for that last match, Sasha punched Finn playfully on the arm with a huff while the Irishman chuckled. "You wish, I could use some aspirin if you want to make yourself useful… strong ones preferably."

Putting his hand on his shoulder and trying to roll it so that the knot he felt pulsating near the middle of his back would ease in pain. "I have some in my locker if you want to tag along." Finn murmured conversationally. "Hey, at least we won though!"

Now that was reason enough for the Boss to smile and simply because the winner in the match got twice what the loser did, a winner's purse. "And with it all that extra cash~" Sasha said with a grin and the two shared a short laugh because they ran into Regal who came up to them smirking.

"Brilliant, you two did just brilliant with the thirteen minutes you had! Letting Baron take it slow and imposing made him look better and you upping the pace at near the middle and at the end was just what it needed." Finn merely stared ahead with a polite, forced smile as he tried to ignore the pain from his bruised ribs.

"And Sasha the defiance, disrespect that you showed to Emma was just what we needed. Plus of course, you picking up the win!" For a Heel becoming face because of how popular she was that was just what Sasha was expected to do and for this instance doing what was expected was better than being surprising.

No, where near as placid as Fin was Sasha Banks so when she got her compliment what she gave in return was a crooked smirk. "It's what I do win. Now, where are your doubts about this huh?" She was still a bit heated about being forced into doing this even if it wasn't as bad as could be.

If he hadn't had months of dealing with Sasha Banks, Regal might have sent her right back out to that ring to learn some respect but neither Triple H nor Vince would approve of that with one of the next upcoming stars. "Yes… well, be ready for next week." The GM muttered, his face scrunched up as he walked back the way that he came.

Licking her teeth and holding her mouth closed as he walked away, Sasha's smirk melted into an obvious frown when he rounded the corner. "Asshole…" She growled slightly, they had a decent relationship at first but things had been devolving lately.

Seeing the state that Sasha was in at the moment left Finn frowning as well, he liked seeing people happy. Putting a smile on and then placing his hand on her shoulder, successfully getting her attention, he tilted his head to the side. "Still want those aspirins?" Finn asked helpfully.

Sasha didn't even realize it herself but upon seeing Finn's smile she did the same but some time in the future she would. But for now, all she did was smile and nod her head. "Yes please."

A short walk to his locker room as the champion and Finn and Sasha made it to where Finn's stuff was obviously hanging in his locker. Grabbing his bag and sitting down on the bench, Finn took the title belt off and put beside him as he dug through his bag without even thinking about it.

Who did pay attention to how Finn was sitting there in just his black wrestling gear, still with a slight sheen to his carved out body was Sasha. Before she knew it she fell into the trap of following the way that Finn's firm muscle moved under his skin, flexing and going taut each time he moved a certain way. 'Now this just isn't fair… come on Finn realize how good you look!' She whined to herself, trying to look away but failing.

Thankfully the combination of her eyes wandering to the waistband of his black wrestling gear and his voice hit her at the same time causing her eyes to go so fast to her face that anyone could swear she had been caught stealing. "Here you go. Some strong stuff since everyone seems to beat up on me so… energetically. Can't imagine why though." Finn murmured pensively, rubbing at his short beard.

Sasha took the bottle from his hand, brushing their skins in the transfer while Finn wondered out loud. With the question still fresh in the air and the sight of his body still burned in her mind, Sasha answered the question honestly before her mental filter caught her and stopped her. "Probably because you are so good looking." Realizing what she said a moment too late, her hand that was holding the bottle let it go as she covered her mouth with a gasp.

Even though her hand was over her big mouth and covering the bottom half of her cheeks which felt warm against her hand she knew that the top half of her cheeks were giving away that she was blushing. 'I can't believe I just said that.' There wasn't even anyone around but him as she still felt mortified that she let that slip.

"Woah there…" Acting and quick, Finn reached down and out to catch the bottle of painkillers before it hit the ground burst all over the carpeted floor. Breathing out a sigh of relief when he caught them, the NXT Champion looked up at Sasha with a sly grin. "That could be it. Thanks for the compliment, by the way, ~" He said honestly, winking at her with that same grin well in place.

Already so deep in this situation, Sasha knew that she only had a few ways to play the hand she forced upon herself. The first would be to get angry and storm off which wouldn't be fair because it wasn't his fault. The second was to suck it up and deal with her slip of the tongue. That was what she picked, suck it up and deal. That being said her choice didn't stop her from crossing her arms under her chest, the flush still lingering on her cheek not helping her case. "Finn!"

He couldn't hold back his chuckles but he did lift his hands to hold them out placatingly as he continued to chuckle. "Right, right…. What happens in the locker room stays in the locker."

"That didn't sound any better!" Sasha yelled, her voice picking up in volume more because of her embarrassment than actual anger. It was at that point that Finn fell back into the locker howling with laughter which was also paired with him saying _Oww_ because his ribs still hurt.

Downing the three pills she took from the aspirin bottle with the water bottle sitting on the bench beside Finn's belt, Sasha turned to leave the room via the door and when the laughing champion saw her leaving he wheezed out that he'd talk to her next week when they had their next promo on NXT.

She reached out to take the door so she could close it as she left and when her hand touched the metal of the door she stopped, paused. Chewing on her lower lip for a moment, she turned her head to look at Finn who was just getting too sitting back up. "Hey Finn, do you want to get some seafood after we clean up?" She could see how his eyes widened and a rosy pink took to his cheeks. "And if you even use the word date I will punch you in the mouth."

He opened his mouth to give an answer but his stomach beat him to the punch when it gave a long, slow rumble that was all too obvious. Chuckling nervously because it wasn't the most flattering thing to have happened, Finn nodded sure as Sasha chuckled near the door. "Sure, I could go for a bite."

"Good, I'll see you after your shower!" And her shower too but she wasn't going to say their shower because that might be just too presumptuous for her taste. So unlike before this time, she'd play it safe.

* * *

Finn stood there outside the Full Sail arena, leaned up against the wall with his arms closed, dressed in a pair of dark blue jeans, a dark shirt and of course his new jacket since he didn't have one with him other than that. Nothing better to do than wait he started to hum, singing a tune in his thoughts. 'One, two… the Demon is coming for you. Three, four… gonna hit the floor.'

He never got to finish his little tune because that was when Sasha came out of the building and spotted him causing her to smile as she walked right over to him. "Sorry I took so long. Getting my hair clean after a match is just the worse. Maybe I should cut it down some?" She was dressed in a short sleeve green shirt and a gray skirt that was purposefully flared out that had leggings underneath to cover her legs down to the ankles.

Pushing his foot that was tucked behind the front one so that he could use the momentum to propel himself off the wall, smiling. "No sweat Sasha. And if it counts for anything I think the hair looks good." Finn said with a genuine honesty that just flowed from the Irishman.

"Oh yeah?" She asked more out loud than responding to what Finn said, taking her hand holding the ends of her hair up to her face so she could look at the vibrant red locks that she currently had. "I suppose it does look good." Shaking her head and snapping out of it, she grinned at her partner quickly turning friend.

Shoving his hands into the pockets of his jacket and wiggling his hands under the cover of his pockets, Finn looked to Sasha with a smile. "Ready to go?" He was only getting hungrier, and the hungrier he got the more ready he was to get a move on.

Chuckling quietly, the red haired woman tucked her hands behind her back and rocked forward from the heels of her shoes onto the toes then back. "Do you mind driving us there? I hitched a ride with one of the girls here and well…" It was actually a bit awkward to ask considering her age but that was one of the things with doing something spontaneously.

"Sure, if you don't mind the out of control Irishman ferrying you around the streets of Florida?" Finn said more sarcastically than seriously as he started to walk towards where his car was parked with his soon to be passenger following right beside him. He had no problem making fun of himself, especially since he knew that the joke was floating around.

"I'm sure you'll do just fine Finn." And spoiler alert he was fine because fifteen minutes of driving, navigating traffic and just generally chatting with the other later before they were sitting in a booth across from each other much like they were in Japan just the weekend prior only this time they were waiting for some food, an order of five sushi rolls each and some rice surprisingly enough.

"Hey Finn, do you mind if I ask you a question?" Sasha asked from seemingly nowhere after the two had settled into a brief silence that came from the waiter just leaving their booth. Finn who had just put the glass of lemonade to his mouth downed a sip before putting the glass down and sighing at the cool, tangy taste of the drink.

"Shoot," Finn said, agreeing to answer some questions without knowing them. It might have been a dangerous deal when talking to a media outlet but when talking to a fellow wrestler it was just sharing experiences of the road.

As someone who had been watching from the outside in while also being on the inside of the wrestling scene, Sasha had a strange, confusing perspective of what Finn Balor was. He was the face of a show and everyone knew it… but then he was also this mind-warping, awe-inspiring Demon when pushed. She needed to know how. "The Demon, what's the story behind that?"

A wry smile bloomed on the bearded face of the man known as the Demon after the question was asked. Plenty of times had he answered that as both Prince Devitt and Finn Balor, in both Japanese and English but it was never quite the total answer, his real reasoning. "And here I thought you'd ask what my favorite color is, what I'd do it ten years?" He joked with a smile.

Joking aside, he leaned back into the padded backrest of the booth bench he was sat perfectly in the middle of, his head pushed back to look up as he collected himself to properly word this answer. "Honestly it started with me wanting to channel that awesome escapism of comic book villains." It was such a simple answer that he knew when he looked down she'd be giving him an incredulous look and he was not disappointed. "I painted up as Venom from Spiderman and Joker from Batman… you make a wonderful Harley by the way~"

Being called out on it, she no longer had that dumbfounded look on her face and glanced away. She knew that the photo was out there, hell she put it out there herself. What she didn't know was that Finn had seen that, then again maybe she shouldn't be so shocked. "However when I got to Japan trademarked things like that wouldn't fly. They pay more attention to the Japan scene then some underground scene in the UK, go figure. Long story short I came to them still wanting to do the paint and showed them the designs I had for the scheme, hues and paint job."

Finn Balor, good looking Irishman with all the talent in the wrestling world and a global fan base was a comic book nerd. Who would have thought, Sasha Banks certainly didn't know as much but she did now. "Is that where Graves got the whole line about where your artistic and wrestling side meets?" That was one of the lines that definitely stuck with her… at least until she heard more from Finn personally.

Chuckling good-naturedly at the follow-up question, he nodded his head with eyes alive with the most cheerful kind of life in the blue irises. "Yeah but I am guessing that he got that from plenty of the Japanese outlets that took that to write their own pieces on me. There is more to hear if you're interested?"

"Of course!" She responded leaning forward till her elbows were on the table and on top of her hands were her chin. There was no way in hell now that she was getting the actual story that she would let it go before it was finished.

"So when the comic book villains were no longer on the table I was advised by the man in charge at the time to look into old Japanese mythos for the creatures past the imagination of the people so when I brought them so designs we tweaked and made designs for me to test. It worked out better than even I thought. I played the Demon, dipping into my more chaotic, dark side to find that side inside of me that was the Demon. More and more I heard in my heard how they wanted my spot, my popularity, and my life so instead of rolling over and dying the Demon rose from the depths of the Prince's darkness." Almost like there was a switch being slowly dragged down inside of him, Sasha saw his eyes going colder, sharper.

That look only lasted as long as the spark on a fuse, a flash in the pan before his look of a cool killer made the revert back to a warm smile paired with two eyes that were clearly enjoying life. "I was such a different… being, it was like the difference between day and night, opposite ends of the same equation. That's why one of those commentators out there ended up calling me _Egao no Akuma._ "

Sasha had seen and listened to enough anime programs to recognize Japanese when it reached her ears. The only problem was that she had no clue what the word before 'Demon' was. She could only guess it was an adjective. "And what's that mean? My Japanese is a bit rusty."

"That would mean The Demon Who Smiles." Finn clarified with a smile, fitting as it was.

"I could see that," Sasha said with a smile before the conversation stopped when the two identical plates of food were brought to the table with a pair of chopsticks crossed over each over on the wide, square plate. An avid fan of Japanese culture Sasha had seen the implementation of these eating instruments plenty of times and she believed that gave her an advantage. It didn't quite work that way however as she struggled to keep the roll between the ends of her chopsticks.

It was quite the opposite situation as Finn was already well into eating and tasting the decently made sushi roll. When one spent as much time in the Land of the Rising Sun as one Finn Balor did, using chopsticks was merely second nature. Catching Sasha's frustrated groan, Finn looked ahead and smirked at the sight of the roll dropping from the sticks. "Need some help?"

Despite Finn trying to be helpful, he wasn't answered for another good fifteen seconds as Sasha stared down intently at the food on her plate, her hands and fingers doing their damnedest to keep the food on the sticks only to keep failing. "No, no… these stupid things are just broken!" She muttered, deflecting the blame as her brow furrowed from intense concentration.

Getting a serious dose of deja vu from when some of the first Bullet Club members came to Japan, Finn couldn't help but laugh even if it brought attention to them. Finn didn't pay them any mind but Sasha did, and all the extra attention brought red to her cheeks."Here let me help." Finn said with a smile, pushing his plate across the table so he could sit beside her.

Before she even had the chance to give her answer whether it was positive or negative Finn had an arm around her shoulders so he could ghost his arm over her far one. Using his skilled chopstick wielding hands, Finn manipulated her hand so that they were properly held. "Go on and try now." He was more than confident that she'd get it now and was happy to help a friend out.

For the first few moments, Sasha wasn't paying any attention to what Finn was doing with the chopsticks. Instead, she was too distracted by the warmth of Finn's body pressing up against her when he leaned against her. 'He is so warm…' She mumbled, her mind a bit dazed before she came back to and slowly lifted her food to her mouth and got her first bite.

With that issue settled Finn didn't move from the bench with Sasha but he did put some space between the two of them, personal space. Humming at the taste that hit his tongue with each bite, Finn sighed pleasantly after getting through two rolls and a fourth of his rice. "Not the worse I ever had." He said aloud as he placed his chopsticks back on the plate so he could lean back into booth.

Thanks to her issues handling the sticks, or just barely handling them rather the woman who calls herself Boss only got about half of what Finn ate down at this point. "I'm just glad to be able to get it off the plate." She mumbled with a slight smirk and sideways glance at Finn who was chuckling softly as he reached across the table to grab his lemonade that had been forgotten.

"I hate to turn this lovely meal into a business d-" He stopped himself when he realized the stern look that Sasha was giving him chuckled nervously, putting a hand up as if to defend himself. "I promise you I was going to say business dinner, not date." He had no plans on being punched in the jaw.

One last suspicious look the Irishman's way before she relaxed back to a natural position and nodded for him to continue with what he wanted to say. Sighing at the bullet dodged, Finn continued on. "I was going to ask what the plan was for the next step in our program?" He felt as if it was going naturally for now and that was good.

That was a good question and as she thought about it Sasha clicked her chopsticks together with her lips pursed in thought. "Well… we have me disrespecting you as champion with a slap. Sorry about that again." Finn waved her off dismissively. "Then we had NXT ending with you putting the belt on me so maybe it is my turn to show some respect to you?"

Scratching his cheek, Finn nodded his head thoughtfully. There might have been some more dramatic things they could do like physical interaction such as a hug or even more drastic like a kiss but getting the Boss to respect Finn Balor when she respects no one would be equally as huge. "I like it, much better than a slap to the face." He said with a faint tone of humor in his voice as he made light of it.

The rest of their meal was spent talking about anything that came to mind whether it was wrestling, the people who they wrestled with, or those in this very restaurant whom they spotted from where they were people watching nearly shoulder to shoulder. But sooner than later their meal was done and bill paid meaning the two could walk out of the warm building into a very windy, night time Florida. The wind was actually very cold as it cut to the skin of Sasha Banks who didn't bring a coat leaving her to shudder and shiver.

Ever the gentleman, Finn stepped up behind Sasha and took his Balor Club jacket off of him and slowly draped it over Sasha like a cloak, the warmth of his body still on it as the jacket wrapped around her. Sasha who was not expecting the act of kindness couldn't help but blush from the act that seemed to be either right out of a book or reserved for two people very close. Without even thinking about it, she put her hands on the sides of the open jacket and pulled it snug, getting comfortable in the jacket. "Thank you" She whispered simple and with a beautiful smile, choosing only two words to stop from stepping on her tongue again.

"Think nothin' of it. It's the least I could do." He said with a humble but sweet dismissal of what he did as anything but special. Maybe if he saw the blush on her face he'd realize that it did mean something but he was a step behind her shoulder so he just thought of what he did as an act of a good friend.

When they made it to the car, Finn stopped on the driver's side to look at Sasha from over the top of his car who was now looking back at Finn when she realized he hadn't moved into the car yet. "So do you mind letting me know where you live so I can drop you off?" He asked, cocking his head to the side curiously waiting for his answer.

She couldn't help but laugh at the way he framed that question like he was gonna be some kind of stalking member of the press that would forever hover before her residence. With the smile still in play, the woman shook her head smile. "No, it's okay."

With Sasha giving him the directions from the passenger's seat and only one wrong turn, Finn managed to get Sasha to her apartment that she was renting for her time here in NXT. Parking up against the curb, Finn threw the shift into park and looked at Sasha who was undoing her seat belt. "Here we are, should I walk you to the door?" He asked both seriously but playfully at the same time, a strange but effective skill.

Turning to face Finn more fully than before, she couldn't help but coyly flaunt her lashes as she blinked suggestively. The smile on her face was pulled into one that was quite devious as she leaned in. "Why, did you want a kiss, Finn?"

"What! No?" Finn said with a blush as he turned his head to the side to escape from having to look at her with the additional hope that doing so would help hide the blush on his face that was thankfully already starting to lessen.

Giggling like crazy, Sasha had to cover her mouth to muffle the sound some, especially when Finn turned away from her like an embarrassed school boy. She didn't give him a kiss but when he did turn back around she leaned over the center console and gave him a hug that was returned by Finn. "Thanks for coming out with me tonight. It was a good time."

Even with a faceful of Sasha's hair against him Finn smiled and returned the hug and a slight squeeze of his own before he leaned back so his ribs were no longer digging against the divider between driver and passenger seats. "Anytime, it was a grand time Sasha. Have a good night."

"You too Finn." She said with a smile all her own before she exited the car and walked to the front door of her apartment. Opening the lock with the key card she stepped through the front door and let it close behind her where it locked again. She was ready to climb the steps when she realized that she still had his jacket on. Wanting to give it back she turned to go back out the door but found Finn was already gone. Looking down at the dark, leather jacket, a smile crossed her face. "Guess I can hold onto this."

* * *

 _NXT_

There was a brief intermission period between the last match between Tye Dillinger and Aiden English and the match that was coming up after it but in the time in between someone had made their slow, sauntering entrance down the ramp, all the way to the ring. In the center of the spotlight with painted eyelids, glitter, and red and blonde hair was none other than Alexa Bliss, looking as confident and wicked as ever as she got herself a microphone.

She tapped it a few times and once it was projecting, the small woman who named herself Five Feet of Fury brought the live mic to up near her mouth. "You all know who I am and how important I am. And… well, all of you aren't important so let's cut to the chase yeah?" Of course, the crowd did not say yes but they did boo her mercilessly not that it seemed to phase Little Miss Bliss.

"I have been stuck in the back for weeks, no months with nothing to do but watch as that little girl who calls herself the Boss pranced around her acting fake tough like some kind of hoodrat. But really who has Sasha Banks beaten recently? Don't worry, I have the answer and it is no one. She has beaten no one! All Sasha Banks has done is parade around as a little girl pretending to be someone important to satisfy her massive ego and I'm sick of it!" Alexa continued to lay it on, her harsh words paired with an equally distasteful frown.

Before her slander and words could continue, Sasha's music hit and down the ramp came the Boss, not in her ring gear but a simple 'Legit Boss' black shirt and a pair of black shorts that stopped at mid thigh. Sasha didn't have a mic on but those around could hear the NXT Women's Champion shouting Bliss down, asking her who she thought she was to talk like that. There was no theatrics as Sasha climbed right into the ring got right in Alexa's face.

It was a confrontation that the blonde clearly wanted nothing to do with as she took a good three steps back so that a buffer space was made between them. "Oh my god, it was so easy to get you out here Sasha. All I did was dangle and damage your pride and you came scampering down here almost on command."

Eyes narrowed down suspiciously and brow furrowed in confusion, Sasha Banks balled her dominant hand into a fist, ready to throw it at a moment's notice. "What the hell are you talking about you little troll?" Clearly, Sasha had no positive feelings for the former manager turned woman superstar.

A devilish smirk bloomed in place of the frown, reminding Sasha of how the Grinch famously smiled like a mouthful of spiders. "I was hoping you'd ask that." Alexa all but sang out, the glee rolling off her tongue. "Oh boys~" She called out over the microphone and not even half a moment later did Blake and Murphy suddenly emerge on the left and right side of the ring, a trap.

As the two large men moved to climb into the ring Sasha knew the trap was set, sprung and executed so she shot forward tackling Alexa down to the mat where she tried to throw a fist or two but ended up just tangling up with the blonde. Much to her dismay Sasha never even got in a good shot before she was dragged to her feet and restrained by the former tag champs, each with one of her arms.

Dragging herself back to her feet, Alexa through her hair back so that not even a strand of it was over her face. Her eyes filled to the brim with anger as she stomped towards where Sasha was fighting futilely against the stronger men holding an arm each. "You think you can attack me? Huh!" Cocking her arm back, Alexa brought an open hand across Sasha's cheek, the slap cutting through the entire arena. Little Miss Bliss wasn't done there and she brought a sharp knee up nailing Sasha right in the stomach.

The Boss bit down on her tongue not ready to give the satisfaction of letting them know she felt the pain but what gave her away was that her knee buckled and she dropped down some but she didn't stay on a knee long before she was pulled back up not level with Alexa but most certainly vulnerable. 'Bitch' Sasha said to herself, her eyes trying to burn holes through the smaller woman.

Roughly grabbing Sasha by the chin, Alexa squashed Banks' face under her hand while making her look down at Alexa at the same time. "You aren't a champion. You're a fraud!" Alexa took her hand from Sasha and was ready to deliver another sharp slap but was stopped when Sasha did the only thing she could which was spit in Alexa's face.

The crowd _Ooohed_ at the defiant and disrespectful act from one Heel to an even more rooted Heel. As the crowd around them reacted Alexa stood stock still with a mortified look on her face. It took a good thirty seconds before Alexa's face reflected a rage as she turned and in one motion slammed a forearm into the side of the Boss' face, the impact making her face throb and her eyes swim.

'How did I fall for this…' Sasha hissed more disappointed in herself than anything else because she knew that in a one on one setting Alexa couldn't even lace her boots in a wrestling or performance perspective.

However, Sasha got her back up in the form of Finn Balor who came running down the ramp in one of his Demon shirts and black wrestling wear. The crowd saw him and started to cheer and so did Alexa but instead of smiling she snarled. "Murphy, deal with him!"

The man immediately let go of Sasha and turned to run for the apron to meet Finn at the pass so to speak. He got one foot onto the apron but that was as far as the former tag team champion got because Finn swept his foot and sent him crashing down on his chest and face on the stiff outer shell of the ring. Blake saw what happened to his friend and partner so it was no surprise when he dropped Sasha to the mat and ran for the ropes.

Finn was already there, however, so when Blake made it to the ropes he ran right into a kick to the side of the head courtesy of the NXT Champion. Blake turned back towards the two women looking dazed from the shot to the head. The Demon slid right into the ring and put an arm around the neck of Blake before he lifted him into the air with a grunt of exertion and once he was in the air he was dropped on the back of his neck and shoulders, a _Bloody Sunday._

Cursing the Irish born champion for ruining her perfect ambush, Alexa walked right up to Finn and tried to slap him but with his attention fully on her Finn was easily able to catch her hand. "Let me go!" The small woman hissed but Balor ignored her as he looked at Sasha who was smiling at him. She should have known that it would be Finn to come have her back and funny enough she didn't want it any other way.

Finn did just as she asked but when he let her go he also pushed her right into Sasha who caught the blonde, hit her with a Backstabber and followed through with a smooth transition into the Banks Statement. Even as Alexa tapped like wild Sasha refused to let go, pulling back and locking it in deeper. It wasn't until she was satisfied with the damage she did, did the Boss let go of the hold leaving a whimpering Alexa Bliss in the ring before she was kicked out onto the floor.

Grabbing the top rope and standing on the bottom, Sasha sprung up some as paid back Alexa for all the mouthing off she did. "And stay out of _my_ ring you little troll!" She said a with a determined frown before she went back down on the ring and turned to look at Finn. She wanted to keep smiling but she had a character to play. So with that in mind, she slowly sashayed towards him until she was standing right in front of him, sizing him up with her eyes.

The crowd was left in a state of suspense because the last time these two superstars were in this position they were left with Sasha slapping Finn across the face. However, the crowd lost it when instead of a slap a massive smile grew on Sasha's face as she took Finn's hand and raised their arms together and when she did the crowd erupted even louder that either had ever heard.

One side of the ring at a time the two superstars turned to face the three sides of fans that were all reigning down cheers from every corner of the arena. In NXT these were two of the most popular stars they had and to see them put together almost seemed like a story… and soon chants of _This Is Awesome_ started to come making Sasha chuckle and Finn laugh. When the sound got loud enough Sasha felt comfortable to speak. "Thanks for helping me out."

There had been a grin on his face as he played with the crowd's enthusiasm, letting it affect him but upon the gratitude from a friend it became a more natural smile from the Irishman. "Anything for a friend." He told her under his breath, letting her know that he did consider her a friend something that couldn't be said two weeks ago.

Their moment was ended when out from the back came William Regal. The crowd didn't boo or cheer, there was no reaction which was the toughest reaction to get in the wrestling world… but maybe that is where the GM of a show ought to be. Their arms dropped and they separated to turn and look at their GM. "How fortunate I caught you both at the same time because I have announcement for next week on NXT. We will have a tag match with Finn Balor and Sasha Banks where BOTH titles are on the line!"

Now that got a reaction from the crowd because it was an exciting proclamation but as for the two champions, they narrowed their eyes. They were most certainly not been informed of this before hand and neither of them liked that, not one bit. "Now meet your opponents."

And then with that Regal stepped back behind the stage and out came the two competitors who just happened to be one Charlotte Flair and Kevin Owens, the previous champions.

As the crowd's general noise started to rise with the excitement of what was to come, Sasha shook her head and moved to grab the microphone that Alexa had dropped to the mat shortly after she had been tackled down. Picking the mic up she hit it against her thigh to let them in the back to know to put it live. She got what she wanted. "I don't know what you're doing here but when I beat you the only thing for you to do will to be going to your daddy, the Nature Boy. Then you can cry on his shoulder!"

Up on the ramp, Charlotte shook her head with that ever confident half-smirk on her face. "Oh, really cause I am taking that belt." Of course, the Flair daughter had no mic so her voice barely carried to the ring. Besides Charlotte, Kevin Owens was standing straight, his arms crossed and looking just not interested at the people in the ring.

Sasha handed the microphone off to Finn who took it with a smirk and slowly walked forward until one of his forearms lounged on the top rope. "I don't know how you got this match Kevin and frankly I don't care. When you lose next week and when I beat you in Brooklyn then you won't ever show your face around these parts. You'll just be the face of a loser!"

Up on the ramp, Kevin was already busy nodding his head in a clearly patronizing manner, a look of faux-attention. "Real mature Finn, real mature buddy!" Kevin called back with a shake of his head.

Sasha with a smirk on her face walked to the ropes beside Finn and took his hand so she could raise their arms again and this time when she did Finn's music hit to further spread the idea that the two in the ring got the last word.

Next week would be big!


	4. Chapter 4

The show had since ended and the talent was mostly in the back relaxing and talking about things both wrestling and non-wrestling related. Two of those doing so were Sasha and Bayley who were seated at a table in catering, with their respective tea drinks in front of them as they chewed the fat, had some conversation. At this point, Sasha was in her everyday wear which included her glasses. The NXT Women's Champion sighed as she ran her fingers through her hair. "I don't know what to tell you Bay. He just kind of sprung the challenge on us."

"Gah! It was supposed to be me and you at Brooklyn tearing down the place, not Charlotte who just came walking back in!" Bayley complained, the angst traveling from her voice to her hand that was giving a nervous tug to the long ponytail that was falling all the way down her back. There was no worry on the Hugger's part that her match would be taken away, rather the worry was who she might be wrestling at the Barclay's Center.

Sighing, she took a drink of her tea letting the coolness of the recently refrigerated drink calm her nerves that were starting to prick up thanks to Bayley's concern. Putting the drink back on the table, Sasha tried her best to reassure Bayley with a smile and her words. "Listen, Charlotte can't beat me." She didn't think anyone could anymore. "This is just Regal trying to keep the rating spikes coming. Besides, I got Finn in my corner now."

Bayley then went through the whole range of emotions. From wilting into the back of her chair like she was ready to pour right onto the floor in a puddle of mess before springing back up with a smile on her face. "Yeah, you're right Sash." As a friend, it was her duty to make sure she always put faith and trust in her friend.

Nodding, confident in the whole situation, Sasha leaned forward on her elbow with her chin laid to rest on her hand while she smirked right at Bayley. "Then when I beat her I'll beat you in Brooklyn and continue to be the most Boss champion in the entire damn company!" She really wished she had the belt to show off and emphasize her point.

Not taking her words too personally because Bayley knew what kind of fighting spirit Sasha Banks had, the challenger merely chuckled and nodded her head. "Whatever you say, sister. I'm coming for that title." The two then shared a friendly smile so that the other knew that despite what may happen they were still best friends, sisters.

"So Sasha…" Bayley started off, clearly ready to ask a question once Sasha took her focus and put it back on her. "What's it like working with Finn Balor?" Finn had gone from working with Hideo but with Itami on the shelf, Finn shot to the top where most thought he belonged. Because of that many backstage wanted to be close to him on screen to see what it was like but till now there had been no one given the green light.

The curious expression that came with wondering what the question would be then turned to a look of someone who was enjoying what they were doing and Sasha fit that description nicely. "Well… everyone knows he can go in the ring and looks good but when you are out there standing in the ring or on the ramp when he comes out the electricity that fills the arena… it is… it's infectious."

Bayley nodded her long ponytail bouncing from the way she bobbed her head. "Yeah, it seems like he has a pretty good time out there. With his leather jacket, he is kind of like a rockstar and the fans think so. When I am the champion I'm sure we could have plenty of fun goofing around in the ring." If there was one thing Bayley noticed about Sasha from before working with Finn and now was that she was having so much more fun around NXT.

Just bringing up his leather jacket reminded Sasha that she still had the first jacket that Finn was given sitting on the dresser in her bedroom. She didn't know why she hadn't brought it back, why she kept it but she did.

Sasha chuckled at the way Bayley described Finn but she wasn't entirely too far off base at how Finn Balor could be portrayed. Hell, one of his previous personas took him to being a superstar in Japan who was larger than life. However, that last part had Sasha smirking and shaking her head. "I don't think so. This title is mine and Finn is my partner. He's mine."

Before the waters could be tested anymore both Sasha and Bayley were caught off guard when the chair between their sides of the table was pulled out and Finn suddenly came into the picture. "Who's yours, Sasha?" Finn asked completely clueless to the fact they were talking about him as he leaned back in his chair.

Both women shared a quick look and came to the silent agreement that they wouldn't let knowledge of what was just said come out. Bayley was ready to let Sasha talk but seeing her friend was clearly fighting back a blush thanks to how she was almost caught saying something about Finn, she spoke up. "Oh, that was just Sasha showing me this cute cat that she wanted."

"Huh, never took you for a cat person Sasha," Finn admitted as he turned to look at Sasha who had gotten herself composed enough to at least look at the Irishman and smile so it wasn't obvious she was being suspicious.

Already prepared for the chance they might have been busted at the worse possible time, Bayley had her ace in the hole ready and it just so happened to fit naturally with where they were in the conversation. "So Finn, are you ready for that title tag match next week? Kevin and Charlotte certainly looked ready."

Humming rather casually, Finn leaned back further into his chair and rubbed at his beard, the short hairs prickling and rubbing his hand at the same time. "Yeah, Regal sure dropped that one from nowhere but when I beat Kevin next week…"

"Or when I make Charlotte tap out." Never the one lacking in confidence, Sasha chimed in from the side giving another possibility.

"Right, or when Sasha makes Charlotte taps out Kevin will have a loss against me twice. So that when I climb that ladder in Brooklyn he will have no more excuses and I won't be the new face of NXT, I'll be the only face of NXT. No offense you two." Bayley chuckled and Sasha rolled her eyes but both were left grinning much like Finn, his confidence spreading to the two of them.

Bayley merely shrugged and leaned back into her chair having no problem with it. "Hey, your a champ and I'm not. Not going to get any argument here." She said with a smile knowing that soon she would be a champ.

Sasha, however, had to think about it for a moment before she gave Finn a small, confident smirk. "I'll let this one pass since you helped me out, Finn." The red-haired woman said with a playful sigh that made Finn laugh cheerfully.

Leaning back further into his chair, Finn folded his hands behind his head so the inside of his forearms pressed down into biceps that also flexed up. Humming as his fingers slid through his short, brown hair, the NXT Champion looked to Sasha, head tilted to the side. "So what's your plan for this week?"

"First thing in the morning I am going to get to the gym and workout every day of the week until the Monday before the match. That will be the rest day and then Tuesday we'll kick their asses." Sasha said, interlocking her fingers and creating a slight arch with her hand that formed over the top of the plastic bottle.

Both Finn and Sasha were caught off guard when from seemingly out of nowhere Bayley clapped her hands, the popping sound drawing both sets of their eyes to the clearly enthused Hugger who was rocking in her chair. "Let me hop into the gym with you girl! Training is never as effective when you have someone pushing you on!" The way she asked it made it sound like there was an outcome when Sasha would say no.

The surprised look turned into a look of fond appreciation and Sasha gave a soft chuckle as he nodded her head, her chin coming down to push on the white, plastic cap. "Sure, of course, you can." Laughing at the pump of Bayley's fist, Sasha turned her gaze to Finn after another moment, still smiling from her laughter. "How about you Finn?"

"Eh, what I am doing now is working so why change it?" Finn mused with a dose of honesty but probably not the most humble thing he said but when it was the truth why pretend to be doing something else. When Sasha nodded and Bayley gave him a thumb's up the NXT Champion pushed from the table and stood up. "Well it was fun visiting with you all but I should be heading out."

Bayley sprung out of her chair so fast the chair almost fell over as she threw herself at Finn and gave him a massive, friendly hug that almost took him off his feet. Chuckling and returning the hug, Finn actually took her off her feet making the friendly lady laugh loudly. When the two parted Finn was ready to leave but was stopped when someone tapped him on the shoulder. He turned and saw Sasha looking at him expectantly.

"Oh right, sorry." Finn stepped over and wrapped Sasha up in a hug, pulling her close enough that Sasha's smiling face was hidden by Balor's chest. But from behind Bayley didn't need to see her face to become ecstatic as she watched Sasha hugging someone else that was not her. The small, mini-Bayley in her head jumping up and down clapping excitedly. Smiling just slightly from over her shoulder Finn could pick up hints of her shampoo and body spray. "I'll see you soon Sasha."

Sasha's fingers tightened in Finn's shirt as she pulled him that much closer until her face was rested comfortably against his shoulder, close enough that she could hear the steady, strong sound of his heart beating. "We're going to kick their asses." She whispered softly, her words brushing up into his shirt.

"Yeah, we are."

* * *

It was almost time for the tag match for the two most prestigious titles that NXT had and Sasha Banks, the NXT Women's Champion was in her purple and yellow ring gear as she walked back and forth along the hall… well, it was more like pacing considering how tense she seemed to be strolling back and forth in the same pattern. "Come on Finn, come on."

She knew that her partner was here at the show, she had seen him earlier so she wasn't worried he wouldn't show. No, she was waiting for him to show up for his entrance and hopefully soon considering she could hear Kevin's music leaking in from the arena to backstage. Her prayers, her wishes were answered when from the locker room area Finn came walking out of, his jacket on and his belt around his waist.

"Oh, Sasha… what's up?" He had fully expected to find her in the control room before the walkway to the ramp, not in the hallway before the control room. It wasn't a bad surprise by any means but it did take Finn for a loop.

Spinning and coming to a stop mid-pace, Sasha turned to face Finn, looking at him dead on with a huge smile on her face. "There you are!" When she realized that she was getting to be a bit louder than normal Sasha stopped, cleared her throat and took a breath. "I have an idea Finn, hear me out?"

Still not sure what she had up the metaphorical sleeve, all Finn could do was blink and slightly cock his head to the side, his bluish-green eyes focused one hundred percent on Sasha. "Sure, what is it?" He still no idea what she had in mind but he would be lying if he said that he wasn't curious about the idea that had Sasha going out of her way to find him.

Taking a moment to breathe in, she paused right before the moment of truth… taking the moment and now ready to throw her question at Finn. "Would you want to enter the ring at the same time, together?" Immediately after asking her question the worry about how long his answer would take to be said.

However much to the benefit of her nerves, Finn was near instant with his response as he smiled brightly and nodded his head. "It makes a lot of sense plus it will be fun, I'm sure!" Finn ever the agreeable one instantly accepted the idea which left Sasha near ecstatic about the prospect of what was to come, and that showed in her massive smile.

"Sweet! Don't worry about a thing, I already have things planned out for it. You'll know what to do." Caught up in the moment and her own excitement, Sasha took Finn by the hand, her fingers interlocking with is as she tugged him with her towards the entrance leaving a laughing Finn behind her.

The pair of champions had run through their entrance, the one planned for the two of them by Sasha. The Boss told him the details he needed to know by standing on her tiptoes and whispering into his ear. Although she didn't share all of her details with Finn, she made sure to give him enough details that he could operate in front of the crowd and just in time because the lights went out on the ring.

"Showtime" Finn muttered, his eyes gaining a steely look of determination as he stepped out onto the top of the ramp, his first few steps being so practiced that he could even do them in the dark. His music picked up and hit its crescendo, at which points the darkness was replaced by the bright light that illuminated Finn standing there with his head back and arms out. The crowd had just enough time to do the same before the lights went out again.

It was clear that Finn was making his entrance but this time things were different and that change started to make a buzz in the crowd. Thankfully the antsy crowd they didn't have to wait long for Sasha's music to hit the arena to the usual crowd reaction. First to light up was the Titantron with her logo but then next was the lights and there standing in front of Finn with her back to the ring and hip cocked to the side. All it took was a few seconds for cameras and eyes alike to focus on the jacket Sasha had on that said _Legit_ _Boss_ of the Balor Club

The jacket was quite clearly one of Finn's new merchandise but on the right shoulder there was the additional logo of the Legit Boss in bold white letters and in a hollowed, white rectangular box. And seeing that the crowd immediately went wild because the fact that she had merchandise of Finn's on with her mark on it as well was as obvious as shipping them as could be.

Looking over her shoulder, the smirk on her painted lips was undeniable as she looked out over the crowd and at the two in the ring who looked equally surprised. Turning back so she was facing Finn, who still hadn't seen the back of the jacket but was smirking because he recognized his old jacket, Sasha took her glasses off and put them on Finn's face before she reached out and pulled his jacket closed holding it tight over his body. "They don't get to see that~"

When her ears picked up on some booing from the lady demographic of the crowd who weren't happy at not being able to look upon Finn's body, her lips quirked up into a smirk. Turning back to the ring she slowly walked in front of Finn so she was covering his front at all times, smirking and putting a hand up at the crowd every so often, playing her greedy Boss role to perfection as she kept Finn's appearance all locked up to herself.

Finn meanwhile saw her jacket for the first time and his eyes widened behind the red glasses Sasha put on him which thankfully hid his surprise. 'So that is where that jacket went…' Finn mused more interested than annoyed that his first jacket was found and with altercations nonetheless.

If one was facing the front of the ring then Sasha would have gone to the right side of the ring, holding onto the rope as she did her swing, presenting her 'Boss' ring to the camera and crowd alike before stepping into the ring. Finn had just scaled up to the front right buckle and was folded over the top buckle as his music cut through at a high point, his arms flying up as the rest of the universe around him. As Finn got the crowd going Sasha walked over so she was standing in front of that buckle, smirk still in place.

Shortly after the bell rang and the music stopped, the silence was only there for a moment before the ring announcer stepped up onto the apron, safe in case things were to set off between the four superstars. "The following match is for the NXT and NXT Women's Championships! First, the challengers, from the Queen City, Charlotte!"

Without fail, the second-generation superstar stepped to the center of the ring, cocky and capable as she _Wooed_ right at the direction of the two champions to a chorus of more boos than cheers. "And her partner, from Marieville, Quebec, Canada, Kevin Owens!" For the prizefighter there was no playing to the crowd as he stepped up beside Charlotte, his eyes all focused on Finn and the belt he had in his possession.

"Introducing next from Boston, Massachusetts… She is the NXT Women's Champion, Sasha Banks!" Stepping up from the corner she and Finn were in towards the middle where their opponents were waiting, Sasha grabbed the corners of the collar of her jacket and popped it out much like one Finn Balor would, her eyes never leaving the woman she beat for this title.

"And her partner, from Bray, County Wicklow, Ireland… He is the NXT Champion! Finn Balor!" Finn slowly stepped up to stand beside Sasha, staring down Kevin through the slits in the red glasses Sasha put upon his face, something that cut down on the intimidation of the champion not that he really cared.

"Nice glasses buddy. You look like an idiot!" Kevin Owens was never one not to not call out such things, to mince the words that were ready to be spoken by his tongue. In fact, he thought it was laughable that the champion of NXT was wearing stupid glasses.

"Oh, these?" Finn asked after taking the glasses off so he could hold them in front of himself to inspect, twisting and turning it to get a better perspective of the apparel. "You can have them then." And just like that, he threw them in KO's face shocking the larger man and allowing Finn to start raining blows onto the man, staggering the Canadian superstar back to the ropes.

Charlotte only spared a moment to look at the happenings between the two men but that was the only moment that Sasha needed because when the Flair turned back around she was met with a forearm that stunned her. Her mouth was left open and eyes dazed as she rubbed at her jaw.

Happening almost simultaneously, Finn hit Kevin with a massive clothesline that sent him spilling over the top rope. Then not a second after, Sasha came off the ropes and nailed Charlotte with a dropkick that sent her rolling out of the ring to the floor beside Kevin. Both champions walked to the ropes so they were standing over their challengers, still in their leather jackets as both in unison lifted their arms and raised their belts letting everyone know who was in charge before the match even started.

* * *

Fifteen minutes in and the match had been as advertised… exciting to watch and a showcase of the top talent in NXT. It was a back and forth match with counters and high-speed action that started with Kevin and Finn in the ring. Five minutes in and Charlotte tagged herself in sending her and Sasha into a wild brawl that had very little in the form of wrestling. There was one point in the middle of that scramble that the referee was desperately trying to gain control that Sasha got the upper hand and was moments from locking in the Banks Statement.

Her title life flashed before her eyes and Charlotte frantically crawled back into her corner, sticking her torso and head behind the ropes so she had the luxury of a rope break. "Get away! I'm on the ropes." Everyone in the ring and in the seats knew it was a flimsy attempt to stop the champion's momentum and Sasha wasn't willing to let things go like that. She stepped up towards the ropes ignoring Charlotte calling for her to back up.

Normally Kevin Owens wouldn't care if his teammate was getting beaten up so long as they didn't lose but this time it was for the title he wanted back, so he reached down and tagged in. Stepping through the middle and top rope, Kevin put himself between Sasha and Charlotte, looking down at Sasha with a shake of his head. "Get out of here, go get your boyfriend. Go." He really didn't mean they were together but it was something quick he thought might get in her head.

At first, Sasha leveled KO with a confused look of bewilderment before she cocked her head and smirked at the much larger man. "Oh, you want him?" She asked just to make sure after her eyebrow rose with the question. When he nodded Sasha grinned and spoke up boldly. "Then you got him." She said foreshadowing what was to come as she dropped down and rolled away.

The amount of time from Sasha moving and realizing that Finn was already moving at him was so small that Kevin only had enough time to tense his shoulders as Balor's running dropkick hit him flush in the chest propelling him into the buckles that Charlotte thankfully was no longer on. Kevin felt his head snap off the top buckle and it dropped him to the ground a perfect spot for Finn to hit his finisher.

Charlotte also saw this as leaped off the apron so that her stomach and the rest of her was sprawled out over the top turnbuckle that she clung to almost like how a monkey holds to a branch, shaking her head frantically. "No!"

Chuckling at her Finn gave one of his standard grins when he noticed that Sasha was standing next to him, looking at him too. Both shared a silent look of acknowledgment before they raised their hands and slowly took aim. When their hands came down their pointer fingers were straight out and their thumbs were straight up as they aimed at Kevin and Charlotte before firing their guns much to the delight of crowd that exploded in approval.

Thanks to his partner's efforts, Kevin rolled out of the ring and onto the padding that was put to rest over the concrete where he laid for a few moments as he tried to gather his wits after having his bell rung. Charlotte dropped off the apron and tried to coach him back up to get in the fight, not wanting to lose to Sasha a second time with the belt on the line.

While they were busy trying to regroup and reorganize Finn had already climbed to the top rope, perched and ready to leap onto his opposition. "Look out below Charlotte!" He shouted so she knew to get out of the way. The blonde woman looked up and held her ground definitely thinking there was no way he'd even bluff the jump with her there. But Finn Balor wasn't the Demon for no reason, even with her there he had no hesitation. "Don't say I didn't warn ya!" And then he jumped.

Not wanting to be on the receiving end of all that force coming down, Charlotte was forced to move to the side leaving Finn to come crashing down on Kevin who was ready and caught his crossbody full on, sending both to the floor. Finn immediately sprung up and put his back to barricade, throwing his arms up and getting the crowd to do the same.

Turning back to the man he crashed down on, Finn walked up on him and crouched to pick him up by the upper body, his mouth near Kevin's ear. "You alright?" He asked just checking since he saw Kevin holding his head and blinking a bunch. It could have been either selling it to the crowd or a legitimate injury.

Being hauled up to his feet, most of his head was being covered by Finn's body. He used that cover to give his response, nodding his head and talking lowly into the side of Finn's body. "Yeah, one more chain for you then a comeback from me, then a tag…" He muttered letting Finn know what he wanted to do for the match, what he thought would be best.

"Sounds good…" Finn muttered as he rolled Kevin into the ring which ended with Kevin rolling into the center of the ring where he started to make it up to a wobbly but vertical base. Right on top of him, Finn delivered a fist before spinning and leveling a kick to Kevin's gut dropping him to one knee. At this position, Kevin's back was flat like a board ready to be stomped. With that comparison in mind, Finn ran the ropes and when he came back towards Kevin he jumped and dropped a smaller scale double foot stomp to KO's upper back spiking him down to the mat.

With the crowd's increase in excitement, he turned Kevin onto his back and crawled into the pin which only made them more excited thinking this might be it. Getting a count of two before Kevin powered out, Finn moved right to one of the unoccupied corners, calling for Kevin to get up. Panting heavily the Irishman begged desperately for him to get up, lifting his hand like he could raise KO back to his feet. The former NXT Champion finally turned around and Finn ran at him ready for a Slingblade but was stopped because when he jumped Kevin caught him and powered him down with a version of the pop-up powerbomb.

The collective gasp from the audience shook the arena before each fan broke into a chant, some for Finn and some for Kevin but all of them agreed that this was indeed awesome, surpassing even what they could imagine from an ordinary taping of NXT. Through that sound, there were three voices in the ring. One was the referee who started his ten count and then it was Sasha calling for Finn and Charlotte for Kevin, imploring each man to get to them and make the tag. It didn't seem like either heard them though as Kevin was flat on his back and Finn laid on one side, eyes wide like he had been knocked out.

The man in stripes to got to a count of seven and both men were dragging their hurt bodies to the corner they needed to find but KO was closer and got to tag Charlotte first. Sasha tried to time her entering with the tag Kevin made but was a step slow and that step was all that Charlotte needed to deliver a full-sprint spear that nearly broke Sasha in half. Hitting her knees and throwing her long mane of blonde hair back, Charlotte let a brief smirk pass her face as her fans cheered.

Putting one hand on the mat and using her other arm to hook Sasha's far leg, the woman who called herself the Queen went for the cover. When the referee's hand hit the mat the first time she smirked. When it hit the second time she nodded and started talking trash but before it came down a third time Sasha rolled her shoulder off the mat just in time.

Her confidence quickly turned to anger and instead of getting off Sasha she mounted her and started to pummel Sasha with fists that came straight down and hurt, the stiffness of her blows catching Sasha a few times before the Boss got her arms up. Before it could turn into a pure Mixed Martial Arts fight the referee pulled the incensed Charlotte from Sasha.

"Hey, when I tell you to get off you do it! Got it?" The referee barked trying their best to establish the authority that the referee was supposed to have inside of the famous squared circle. He didn't want to end a championship match with a disqualification but he would if there was no other choice.

Knowing the best way to get a referee off her back was to agree with them and tell them that she'd listen, Charlotte nodded her head and lifted her hands, telling him that she'd not do it again. Meanwhile, all of her focus was over his shoulder at where Sasha was heaving for oxygen while resting on all fours, still down from the spear. Appeased, the referee gave Charlotte some space and she used it, bouncing off the ropes and on the rebound she used one of her long legs to drop on top of her lower back, the impact making Sasha grunt in pain.

Rolling backward like she did when she entered the ring, the second generation Flair got to her feet and immediately bounced off the ropes again. This time when she delivered a leg drop she dropped her guillotine-like leg down on the back of Sasha's neck who convulsed once on the mat before going limp. "It's over!" Charlotte gestured to the crowd that was mostly jeering at her.

Flipping Sasha over, Charlotte put her hands on top of Sasha's and held them down as she pushed her chest down on the champion to apply extra weight to the shoulders she put down on the mat. Thinking there was no way Sasha would get out of it this time when Sasha kicked out at two and three quarters her rage boiled up to the tenth degree. "That was three!"

Her first shout was directed at the ref who shook his head and held up two fingers, once she did that she straightened her hair out then the disbelief turned into a snarl as she glared at Sasha with as much hate as she could muster. "Stay down! Stay down!" Despite what she shouted she knew that Sasha would have to be put down. That is why she climbed to her feet and grabbed Sasha's ankle, pulling her leg out. Looking and hollering out her family's trademark _Wooooo_ , she was ready to lock in her Figure Eight Leglock.

As she turned to spin the leg and lock in the Figure Four first Sasha countered by kicking Charlotte in the small of the back with her one free leg, the push of her leg sending Charlotte tumbling forward until her head hit the buckles. Groaning, a woozy Charlotte slowly turned so she was slouched in the corner. At the last moment she Sasha coming and crumbled to the floor avoiding the double knee strike Sasha threw. Her not being there meant Sasha's knees rammed the unforgiving buckle dropping Sasha to the mat as she cried out in pain holding her knee.

Seeing the metaphorical blood in the water, Charlotte pounced on Sasha locking in first the Figure Four before bridging into the Figure Eight. Not messing it around, it took her all but six seconds to lock Sasha in the submission and the effect was immediate as the Boss grabbed at her hair, crying out in pain. She felt it as it started near her calf and went straight for her knee, the one she just hurt and it made her want to scream but she fought that urge off.

At the last moment she realized the referee was counting, she didn't know what number he was at but immediately she sat up and threw a frantic, wild slap at Charlotte's leg trying to break it but all it did was cause Charlotte to put more tension on the hold sending her back to the mat in a cry of agony. "Ahhh!" Silencing herself by biting on the inside of her lip she tried anything to take her mind off the pain as she tried to slowly work her way to the ropes.

No matter what she tried there was no taking the pain flowing through her and turning it off. At this point, her mind was so scrambled and it felt like her knees were on fire that she didn't know if it had been ten seconds or a minute that she was locked in the hold. 'No, no! I can't lose to her, not again!'

Even though she tried to steel her will, her body knew better and her hand balled up into a tightly compact fist, the reminder that she had one way out of this situation. She could give up and lose her title but she'd save her knee that felt like it might pop at any moment. 'Damn it!' She cried in her mind, the pain making her want to scream as her hand went up.

"Sasha!" Her hand stopped and her head dropped back to the mat allowing her to catch a flipped, upside down version of her partner reaching out under the bottom ropes, his reach making it much more manageable to reach his hands than the ropes he was standing outside of.

In that moment she realized it wasn't just her pride and prize on the line but Finn's too. Yes, she didn't want to lose but there was something to be said about having someone else counting on you. That feeling of accountability hit Sasha hard, fueling her with the determination to push up on her elbows and slowly crawl back towards where Finn was waiting for her. "Ahh!" She groaned in pain, shoving herself back the last inch to land her hands in Finn's which she felt immediately take her hands with his larger.

Anyone who watched wrestling since at least the late 1980's knew the way to counter the Figure Four, and Finn was no expectation. First he pulled, yanked Sasha so that Charlotte lost the bridge and once it was a standard Figure Four he turned Sasha onto her stomach countering the pressure so that shooting pain went to Charlotte's knee. Shock made the pain that much more effective and nearly instantly Charlotte let go of the hold letting Finn pull Sasha out of the ring.

Stumbling as he pulled Finn landed on his back with a panting Sasha laying on top of him as she shook in pain and mumbled soft groans of misery into his neck. "Are you okay?" Finn asked concerned for his friend and partner.

She took a moment to compose herself and thankfully her shaking stopped but even then she didn't move from on top of Finn Balor. "My knee is shot. I can't do much." She mumbled into his neck, angrier with herself more than anything else.

However Finn was far from angry, in fact, he was impressed that Sasha was able to survive a whole minute in the Figure Eight leglock. Smiling at her, he made sure to tell her that he was proud she was his partner before anything else. "I'm going to put you on the apron and tag in." She nodded giving him the permission to do that.

Finn made it back to his feet and in his arms was Sasha Banks being held in the bridal position as Finn carried her back to their corner. Sitting her down next to the post, Finn tagged in and jumped over the top rope as Kevin came sliding in on the opposite side. The larger man tried to rip Finn's head off with a clothesline but Finn ducked it and kept running till he bounced off the ropes, letting the momentum carry him into Kevin who just turned around.

Guessing that Kevin's chest was going to be put out for him Finn had already left his feet before KO turned so that when he did the dropkick hit flush sending Kevin back into the ropes which threw him back towards the ring. Hitting the mat and making the ropes shake from the impact, Kevin threw his arms over his head as he rolled to the center of the ring.

Skulking around the ring, Finn moved till he was standing in the Charlotte-Owens corner where he stood in a deep crouch his finger guns aimed at KO who was just then starting to climb to his feet. Having expected Finn to be in his corner, Kevin looked at Finn's corner and found nothing so he turned to make a tag. That was when his eyes widened at the sight of Finn rushing him. "Shit…"

Shotgun blasted into the corner by Finn's feet, Kevin's body bounded back off the buckles where his own momentum carried him out towards the middle of the ring. Scaling to the top for the last time Finn was ready to deliver a Coup de Grace but was stopped once more when Charlotte got in between him and Kevin. Finn thought about just jumping over the tall woman but the decision was taken from his hands when from outside, on her one good leg, Sasha pulled Charlotte out of the ring to the floor.

Leaping without second thought, Finn threw his knees up to his chest at the apex of his jump and when gravity started to pull him down he stabbed his feet down, jamming his feet right through the heart of Kevin Owens. Rolling into a cover, Balor threw all of his weight on top of Kevin until he got the three count. The NXT Champion idly realized his and Sasha's name were being announced as he laid just to the side of Kevin, tired and sweaty. "One more time huh Kevin?"

He could have sworn that he heard Kevin chuckle softly as he rolled out of the ring. With his challenger that was defeated already moving Finn decided it was time to show life so he slowly sat up, not quite Undertaker like but it was a sit up. He didn't pick out one particular person doing it but merely grinned at the wave of congrats.

"Finn!" Out of pure reaction, Finn turned his head to the right and Sasha a moment before she collided with him taking him down to the mat as she hugged him with all of her momentum, her face against his neck as she held him tight. "You did it!" She breathed out in a combination of relief and pain from moving so suddenly on her bad knee.

Initially, he was surprised at the reaction considering they were in front of a live crowd but if she didn't mind then Finn wouldn't deny her the hug. She was so tight to his body, squeezing him he was able to maneuver them so they were sitting, or he was and she was on her knees. "Last time I checked I think _we_ won." Finn reminded her with a cheeky grin, he wasn't going to let her discredit her own doing in this fight.

As much she might have wanted to disagree with him, the fact that he was just so damn cheerful about the whole thing had infected her and before she knew it she was smiling right along with him, though her face was hidden and so was the smile.

"We should probably get up though. You hugging me in the middle of the ring can't be good for your Boss look." Finn suggested, the same underlying hint of amusement tinting each word that came from his mouth.

Her response came in the undignified form of a snort that made Finn chuckle quietly. "Whatever, it is just the Face coming out in my character. Seriously though, get up slowly and keep the hug so I can lean on you to help me get up." The flat way that she gave the order was a bit out of place but it made him shift as he slowly moved to his knees then feet, taking Sasha with him.

Once he was sure that Sasha was stable, Finn moved to the side of the ring where the referee who was on the outside of the ring was holding both titles out for them to take. Finn snatched both of them up, the Women's in his right and his title in his left hand. Strolling behind Sasha with a cheerful hum, Finn stood behind her and put the belt around her waist making Sasha smirk and do her slight shimmy for the crowd before Finn stood beside her and raised her arm with his, victorious.

As the two stood there in the center of their stage the crowd that got the pleasure of watching them battle started to chant fanatically. Their chant was a simple _Yes_! And that word was constantly being repeated at them louder and louder. The phrase booed out of the building was a thing but this was like getting cheered into oblivion and all the cheers left the two smiling before they exited the ring.

Finn and Sasha walked up the ramp, both without issue… at least until they got behind the curtain because as soon as she didn't have a front to hold up Sasha was ready to drop to the ground but luckily Finn saw this as well and caught her. "Finn, sorry…" She muttered releasing the inconvenience she caused him.

The Irishman merely gave her a smile as he adjusted her so that her arm was around the back of his neck and the arm that was connected to that shoulder put itself on her side to make sure that the Boss didn't have to walk on that bad knee. "Don't worry about it, Sasha. I'm glad that I could help ya out."

Not ever really wanting to rely on someone too much, under normal circumstances Sasha might have fought vehemently against being walked down the halls but right now her knee felt like it was on fire and that tempered her stubbornness. "You're really too kind for your own good." Sasha finally got out with a sigh but it wasn't a bad one by any means.

Finn blinked as he registered what she just said, cocking his head to the side slightly as he glanced down at the woman being supported by his shoulder. "And that is a bad thing?" Finn asked completely curious, wondering if this one of those American sayings he still didn't have the hang of.

The NXT Women's Champion was left with only one option and that was to chuckle softly at the way she managed to inadvertently confuse to the European beside her. Glancing down at the floor that was moving, Sasha chose to look down so that her smile was at least somewhat obscured. "No, I guess it isn't." It was a few moments before she was comfortable with looking up but when she did and she saw Finn was moving her to the trainer's room. "Wait!" She said suddenly.

There was a lingering silence as Sasha looked at the direction of the trainer's room and Finn looked at the side of her face. When Sasha finally turned her attention to Finn she had a stern look on her face. "You can't take me there or they will stick me on this ridiculous program for the rest of the week." Sasha said with quite the amount of certainty as she started to chew on the inside of her cheek.

"Huh? Where am I supposed to take ya then Sasha?" Finn asked absolutely baffled with what he was supposed to do now. If someone wasn't feeling one hundred percent then a doctor was necessary. He understood the pride of not wanting to go but she was literally on one leg right now.

She released the breath she didn't know she was holding when Finn stopped moving and she was no longer on the path to the trainer's room, a metaphorical bullet dodged. "Your locker room is closer, take me there." She both asked and directed, looking up at him with hopeful eyes.

Glancing down, Finn met Sasha's eyes which were the nail in the coffin as he sighed slightly, nodding his head slowly before walking her to his locker room. Thankfully no one managed to spot them before he got her into his room and the door was closed behind them, a shield from the prying eyes backstage. Once he had her settled down on one of the benches, Finn pulled a small folding chair up to sit across from her. "What's the damage?"

As soon as her backside hit the bench she bent forward so she could drag her kneepads down the length of her leg and off over her wrestling boots. Hissing slightly at the pain, she put both of her hands to work, rubbing and just generally holding her knee to provide pressure. "It's bum. I need some ice. Would you pick some up for me?"

Finn gave her what could best be called a complex look as he rubbed the back of his neck with his dominant hand. It wasn't that he was against helping her out. No, he was worried about how he could manage to get some ice without the doctor's questioning him about why he needed it. "Sure, let me see what I can do." Standing up, Finn reached behind Sasha and pulled out a towel to wipe down his face and the back of his neck, where the towel hung from now.

With a _thanks_ coming from behind him, Finn gave a wave over his shoulder as he cracked the door open and slid out into the hall where there were now a few arena officials hanging around just chatting. They looked at him for a moment before going back to their conversation leaving Finn to walk to the trainer's room. He walked with a bit of pace since Sasha was waiting for him and the ice when he got there the door was open so he walked right in.

"Ello doc, you free?" Balor asked before he even fully stepped into the room, his head popping around the corner to peek in. When he noted that there was no one in the room beside the doc who was fiddling in the cabinets, Finn walked right in and smiled at the man who just started to turn around. "Good to see you doc!"

"Finn?" The man asked more confused than disappointed to see the Irish superstar mainly because he had been watching the main event and he couldn't see anything that should lend to Finn Balor having to come and visit him. "What do you need?" He asked tentatively, trying his best to not make an assumption.

"Could you spare an ice bag? I want to cool down some before I head home for the night." Finn asked with a slight grin using his natural charisma to charm the man into doing what he wanted. Because if questions started to get asked then he wouldn't have any answers ready for the doctor and things would get really awkward.

"Oh is that all?" Thankfully for Finn instead of asking questions, the doctor was just happy and relieved that the face of the developmental league was perfectly fine. He turned around missing the sigh from Finn as he scooped out a bunch of ice and dumped it into a twice layered plastic bag. Twisting up the bag and then putting a tie around it so the bag stayed shut, the doctor turned and held his hand out to Finn. "Here you go."

"Thanks!" Finn said and as quick as he came the Irish superstar and current reigning, defending NXT Champion bolted out of the room before questions could be asked. Knowing that fresher it was out of the freezer the more effective it would be Finn made for his locker room with a hitch in his step. Opening the door, Finn stepped in and was greeted by the sight of Sasha who looked up and upon seeing him and his ice pack she couldn't help but smile.

"You really are a saint, Finn" Sasha said with no small amount of relief coursing through her voice as she took the ice pack and wrapped it around her knee, the coolness already combating the throbbing she felt there, a reaction that left her sighing.

Just because he couldn't hold it in, there was a faint smirk quirking up at the side of his mouth before he even got his next few words out. "Not a saint, a demon Sasha." Even as she rolled her eyes Finn gave out a chuckle because of how he was happy with himself. Walking by Sasha and to his locker, Finn pulled out his bag and got his stuff. "I'm gonna clean up. You can stay here if ya want."

As someone who grew up in large part in the dojos of Japan where there were groups of people around at a time, showering when there was someone just a room away was no problem for Finn Balor. It was just life. Yet for Sasha and anyone in America really something like a shower was meant for private settings which is why her eyes widened some as she dared not look behind her even as the door closed and the shower started up.

The more she thought about Finn doing what he was doing naturally she thought about was literally happening behind that wooden door. Him under a shower spray that would leave his already firm, muscular frame glistening with a sheen of water. 'Stop, stop…' She told herself though there was no stopping the slight red building in her cheeks.

During the fifteen minutes that it took Finn to shower himself off, Sasha had managed to stand up and walk around the space of his locker room. In truth, she could have worked her way back to her locker room but at this point, if she came out of Finn's locker room twenty-five minutes after the show was over things would get complicated drama. So instead she settled in her spot and waited a bit longer while trying to battle away thoughts of Finn in the shower. No one said ladies couldn't have their own fantasies.

When the door opened up Sasha turned to face the door both relieved and disappointed to see that Finn was fully dressed in a t-shirt and black pants. "Still here huh?" Finn said rather neutrally because he didn't mind really.

Because she didn't know what else to do, Sasha chuckled almost awkwardly as her fingers streamed through her colorful hair. "I was wondering if I could use your shower since my locker room is all the way across the arena?" She was willing to bet that Finn kept a clean washroom area. She'd Bank on it.

Finn looked over his shoulder where the remnants of steam were crawling out from the open door and then back to Sasha before shrugging. "I mean if you want to you can but what about your clothes?" Finn asked in reference to that she only had her wrestling gear on her.

"I was actually hoping you might swing by my locker room and pick up my bag? I know I am asking you to do a lot for me so if you want to say no then no problem Finn." Part of her was expecting a no because all she had done since they left the ring was ask him to do things for him, orders he kept following. The other part of her, the Boss part was pretty smug about getting a talent the caliber of Finn Balor listening to her without question, she was just nicer about it than the Boss would have been.

"No problem Sasha," Finn said turning his back which looked particularly broad in his shirt that was a touch tight to his body. Always the nice guy outside of the ring, Finn once more took leave of his locker room to find Sasha's locker room. Thankfully he had a vague idea of where it was and as such was not completely wandering around the facility.

A handful of wrong turns and about five minutes later, Finn finally found what he was looking for as he stood at the door of the locker room Sasha was using, or would be using if she hadn't chosen to make use of his instead. Taking a moment to compose himself since he was a tad frustrated, Finn breathed in then out before opening the door.

"Finn?"

"Bayley?"

What he expected to see upon opening the door could have been any number of things but one of those things was not the presence of the Hugger of WWE and NXT. And clearly, this sentiment was shared by Bayley who continued to stare back at the Irishman without blinking, slightly dumbfounded. Things weren't so intense but if they were this would have been a classic western showdown style.

"Finn, what are you doing here?" Bayley finally got out when her brain finally recovered at seeing one of the last people she expected to see.

"Uh, Sasha asked me to get her stuff and bring it to her. What are you doing here?" The presence of Bayley made him wonder if maybe he got the wrong room. Man, that would have been incredibly embarrassing, not as embarrassing as not being able to find his shoes but still.

Bayley's eyes went down in a squint. Her initial reaction was to suggest something a touch more scandalous than what was really happening but she was interrupted by a yawn. "Alright tell Sasha to get a ride for me?"

"Sure thing Bayley" Finn said with a chuckle. He was reminded of how late it was when the Hugger yawned. Smiling at him being so helpful, Bayley crossed the difference and gave Finn a hug before she left the locker room.

Grabbing Sasha's stuff which was all thankfully stored in one bag, Finn hurried back.


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: Don't own anything.

* * *

Chapter Five:

"So let me get this straight, Bayley instead of waiting like fifteen minutes decided to head home and leave me here?"

Sasha finished her shower and was now standing in front of Finn fully dressed and ready to go, aside from the towel she was using to dry her long hair which took a bit more effort and time to take care of then the rest of her body. As preoccupied as she was, there was nothing that could take away from the annoyed look on her face.

Over the past few weeks, Finn had gotten to know Sasha quite well and as such he knew that the Sasha he was talking to was a very annoyed Sasha Banks, one he hoped to not irritate any further than she was. Chuckling nervously, Finn scratched the top of his head while nodding almost tentatively. "Looks like it"

What came next were a string of words, curses that Finn wouldn't repeat unless he was very, very angry but nonetheless Finn stood there riding out the wave of frustration that Sasha was not venting on him but most certainly in his direction. Eventually, Sasha came down from her annoyance with a sigh. "Looks like I'll have to find an Uber or something."

"Nonsense Sasha! I could give you a ride home." Finn offered without even thinking about it. He had done it plenty of times for Anderson, Gallows, the Jacksons both Nick and Matt so doing the same for Sasha really was nothing extravagant in his opinion. He was just being the polite man that his parents raised him to be.

The Boss really wanted to be surprised at the depths of Finn's kindness but at this point not giving him the benefit of the doubt would have seemed like an insult. Yet still, she really felt like she was taking advantage of his kindness. Despite what her on-air persona was she didn't enjoy doing the same in their real lives. "Finn, I can't… you have done plenty for me just tonight." Wasn't that the truth…

Grinning that grin that seemed to bring life to even a corpse, Finn had a bit of twinkle in his eye as he returned Sasha's refusal with words of his own. "Good thing that I am insisting then!" Then showing how he was not taking no for an answer he grabbed her hand and gave her a tug towards the door. "Go on, grab your stuff and let's go."

The Irishman acted so quickly that the only thing she could do was grab her bag before she and Finn were out of his locker room and going down the hallway. "Finn…" Sasha said with a slight whine as she stepped up so she was at least even with him in stride but curiously enough she didn't remove her hand from Finn's, nor did Finn take his hand from hers.

"I understand that you're stubborn, really stubborn…" Sasha pouted at this but the NXT Champion paid that no mind as he continued on. "...but I am not going to let a friend pay for a ride home when I am literally standing beside of them." Grinning at the joke before he even made it, Finn turned his mischievous expression on Sasha. "At least you won't sneak off with another one of my jackets this time eh?"

"It was only one…" She groused but smiled eventually unable to help it with all of the happiness and just general good cheer coming from her companion. She even squeezed his hand slightly as they stepped out of the arena and into the not temperature controlled outside. "That being said, I might keep that jacket of yours and start wearing it to the ring."

Making it to the car, Finn finally separated from Sasha because of the need to go around the car to get to the driver's seat but before he ducked into the car he looked over the top of the car, giving her a smirk. "I am sure marketing would love that. The crossover gear would sell like something hot."

"Everything with my branding on it is hot Finn." She informed him with that smirk of hers before she got into the car which left Finn to do the same, chuckling at the confident way she presented herself.

The car ride was peaceful on the way back, with a bit of idle conversation and an equal amount of music that was used to fill in the silence when the conversation hit its quiet spots. It didn't take long before they were in front of Sasha's place, Finn putting the car in park. "Here we are, last stop for you Ms. Banks."

She shook her head at the overly showy display that Finn opted for. Sasha was ready to get out and get ready for the rest of her night which was probably about an hour and a half of relaxation time before bed but then she laid her eyes on the time. It was late and Finn still needed to drive home. A quick look of determination passed over her face as she made a bold offer to her friend turned chauffeur.

"Finn, I think you should spend the night here. It's already late and I don't want you driving back to your place, cutting into your R&R time." As she said the words she could feel how her heart started to beat a bit faster, the implications of her own words hitting her hard. She knew she wasn't like this before Tokyo but the more time she spent with him the deeper she seemed to let him in.

Blinking, Finn's initial reaction was to protest this decision not unlike how Sasha was uncomfortable with him doing so much more for her. "But…" He wouldn't get another word in inch wise because Sasha inserted herself with a stern tone that even shut the Demon's mouth.

"No, there is no saying no Finn. Turn off the car and let's go." Her darker eyes dared him to say otherwise and wisely Finn kept his mouth quiet as he turned the key and the car went quiet, the engine going off. "Smart choice," She said with a grin as she got out of the car in tandem with Finn, leading him to her apartment's door.

Sasha stepped in first and flicked on the lights as she walked further into the living space, moving towards the couch sat in front of a television with a DVD Player sat beneath the flat screen television that was mounted to the wall. "Welcome to the Boss' lair, Finn. No need to be amazed."

Looking around from the living space furnished what was mentioned earlier and a rug under a coffee table in front of the couch to the kitchen space that was separated from the living area by an island with three stool benches on the kitchen side. "Pretty modest for a Boss if you ask me." Finn murmured honestly.

His reaction or lack of reaction was enough to make Sasha deflate considerably. She crossed her arms over her chest and started tapping her foot off the carpet under her socks. "In my defense, I don't spend as much time here as I use to. Being on the Main Roster lends itself to travel."

Turning his head back to Sasha, Finn gave her one of his big ol' smiles that most certainly reached his eyes which were just alive as the rest of his emotive personality. "Sorry, didn't mean it like a bad thing." Before he walked in further, Finn slipped out of his shoes and left them near the door, a habit picked up from years spent in Japan and its dojos.

Finn made his way over near the couch and looked down at the dark fabric of the furniture before he looked back at Sasha who was already looking at him. "Is this where I am staying for the night?" He chose to keep the part where she was making stay out of his question since there was no reason to irritate her for something so insignificant.

"Yeah, sorry but I don't have a second bedroom." It was something she probably should have recognized earlier but she was so determined to do something for her friend that she overlooked that fact. "I hope you don't mind?" She couldn't help but let a touch of concern leak into her tone.

The comparison of what he did in Japan which translated to a mat on the floor to this nice couch was such an upgrade that even if it wasn't a bed that didn't mean it was something he couldn't handle. "It's really no sweat," Finn assured her with a smile.

"Oh good!" Sasha smile was so bright and in Finn's opinion beautiful that it caused a bit of red to go to his cheeks but it went unnoticed as Sasha spotted something from the corner of her eye, a DVD that she left out before heading out in the morning. "Finn want to watch a movie?"

"A movie?" Finn repeated back at her, wondering what movie she had in mind and if he could even manage to stay awake for a whole two hours, at least.

Not even using words, Sasha gave her confirmation in the form of a light humming that reached Finn's ears before she even turned around to show him the front of the DVD's case. "Yup! Jurassic Park, the first one!"

"Jurassic Park huh…" Finn mumbled, turning his head slightly so that he could more in-depth examine the cover art on the case in Sasha's hands. He definitely heard about the movie since a lot of his friends in the wrestling company came from America but…

Coming to a very startling revelation, Sasha gasped and pulled the movie disc tightly into her chest, clutching it close because of the surprise. "Do you not know what Jurassic Park is Finn?"

"I know what Jurassic Park is!" Finn said rather defensively as he squinted at Sasha whose expression turned from shocked to playful when she saw how Finn started to get a bit cagey. It wasn't something she saw much outside of the ring, even after hanging out with him for two weeks. "I just haven't seen it…" He mumbled softly, almost inaudibly.

"Well that changes now!" Sasha said with a grin, she already planned on watching it… alone but now with another person her plans got much better. Whirling around she put the disc into the player and turned the television on which when it came on displayed the menu screen for the movie. "Sit down, I'm going to make some popcorn!"

Fully at the whims of his hostess, Finn sat down on the couch while Sasha went into the kitchen and started up the popcorn. 'She is pretty cute when she gets all excited about something.' Finn told himself while looking at the motionless screen and listening to Sasha's humming under the sound of the microwave.

A few minutes later and Sasha plopped down on the couch, putting the freshly made popcorn down between them. "There you have it, a freshly made unhealthy snack covered in some butter and some salt!"

Finn gave Sasha a sideways smile at the way she framed the snack but nonetheless, he reached down and took a few pieces of popcorn for himself. "I'm sure my trainer would love this…" The way he toned it made it sound like he was joining the dark side of things just as he put the popcorn in his mouth.

"We'll make a Heel out of you yet Finn," Sasha said deviously with an accompanying wink that made Finn laugh. "Let's get the show on the road!" She proclaimed as she hit start on the movie, along with dimming out the lights so they could properly enjoy the movie in a theater-like atmosphere.

They were able to watch the movie in comfortable silence up until the first encounter with an actual dinosaur on screen at which point Finn blurted out what he felt. "That's kind of cheesy no?"

Chuckling at his statement because it was true, Sasha moved her eyes from the moving picture on the screen to Finn and smiled. "The movie was made nearly twenty-five years ago." She pointed out on with an amused smile.

"Ah… I guess you're right." Finn mumbled to himself before he went back to watching the movie only this time he had a bit more of an opened mind. With that opened mind he continued to watch the movie in silence, just enjoying it for what it was.

At about an hour and fifteen minutes in there was finally a quiet spot in between the action and Sasha was able to talk without feeling she was interrupting something. "So what do you think about the movie now, Finn?"

"Good, really good!" Finn answered shortly before his head whirled back around and focused heavily on the movie. He loved dinosaurs and honestly, this movie was like an addiction to him… or at least it most certainly could turn into one.

Smiling at the enthusiasm even late at night, Sasha moved the bowl of half-gone popcorn onto the table and stretched out on the couch. Fighting back the urge to yawn, Sasha decided to pull a blanket up as she moved in closer to Finn and wrapped his arm up in a hug, her head on his shoulder as she laid mostly on her side.

So engrossed with the movie he hadn't even noticed that Sasha had not only moved closer but successfully managed to cuddle up on him but when he did a lump caught up in his throat causing him to exhale. "Uh, Sasha?" He asked a little unsure of what do, his tension causing his arm in her grasp to flex which only led to her squeezing him tighter to her chest.

"Yeah?" She asked quietly, lifting her chin some so she could at least have her eyes looking somewhere near Finn's as he looked down at her lying on his shoulder.

His initial plan was to ask her what she was doing but seeing how comfortable, how peaceful that she looked completely changed that plan. That and this position wasn't bad at all. He got the warmth of her body against his, she was happy, and he was comfortable. "Never mind" Now with someone to cuddle he just wiggled back to a comfortable spot on the couch.

The two sat like that on the couch for the rest of the movie looking every bit like the couple they were portraying on NXT and clearly neither Saha or Finn cared one bit. Just basking the presence of the person next to them, the two went on to watch the movie in content silence. Until Sasha got even bolder than cuddling and leaned up to put a kiss on Finn's cheek.

It took him by surprise… again but this time it was her soft lips pressing against his skin, something that made him blush at the affection of the gesture. When he looked down he was already met with the Cheshire grin. She took pride in the way she had him all tongue-tied because it meant that he had some kind of attraction to her as well. "C'mon Finn don't look so surprised. This is essentially our third date and what if I do this in the ring? Gonna look this silly?" She said giggling at the look on his face.

Right now Finn was just glad that he wasn't trying to speak because there was no doubt in his mind that he'd be stammering thanks to the way she caught him off guard. "Just little warning before ya blindside me like that," Finn complained as an attempt to shield himself from her knowing look.

Though all it took one look into her eyes and the mischievous twinkle in them told the Irishman that his attempt to deflect what just happened had failed miserably. "Oh is that all? Okay, I am going to kiss you again." And she did just that, leaning up again, this time she put a kiss on his cheek like before but this time the kiss was much longer.

Finn proved himself to be somewhat correct because the second time he didn't blush it was clear that the show of affection from the woman cuddling against him had gotten under that cool guy persona and in a good way. Satisfied with the reaction she got, Sasha hunkered down against Finn content with the warmth of his body as she yawned. "Night Finn"

At this point, the credits were rolling down the screen and Finn was about to remind her that she was supposed to take the bed but instead he opted to just play the silent and satisfying role of cuddling her. "Night Sasha."

* * *

Stirring the morning after, when Sasha realized that she was awake she gave out a very annoyed groan before she nuzzled deeper into her bedding… but instead of something soft, she realized that what she was laying against was much firmer but strangely more comfortable. Opening her eyes slowly, Sasha saw she was laying on top of Finn's chest. Somehow during the night, she had managed to sneak under his arm and lay against his chest.

Leaning up slowly as to not wake him, Sasha placed a kiss on his forehead and tried to move from her spot. 'I like the sound of that… my spot.' As she tried to move that's when she realized that Finn's arm was around her waist, a piece of information that had her smiling as she untangled from the Irishman.

Stretching out her limbs when she was finally on her feet, Sasha came to a pleasant conclusion which was that despite being on the couch that was the best rest she had in at least a few months. With her mood high from how she woke up and the night before she decided to start up breakfast. She couldn't be a poor host now, could she?

Over on the couch, Finn stayed asleep for maybe another ten minutes before he started to come to, although the warmth that he had formed on the couch was definitely a deterrent from him moving. Slowly opening his eyes, the first thing Finn saw was an unfamiliar ceiling which gave him a moment of pause before he remembered when he fell asleep.

What hit him next was the dueling scents of eggs and bacon being cooked which instinctively caused him to let out a soft rumbling sound as a hand naturally drifted to rub at his stomach. Shifting so that he was sitting upright, Finn pulled his back straight and went to where Sasha's back was to him, cooking.

He eventually made his way off the couch and into the kitchen, stepping loud enough and yawning so that Sasha heard him coming. He came to a stop standing to Sasha's left, glancing down at what she was cooking with a small smile. "Morning, what do ya got there?" Obviously, he knew what it was but it was just courteously.

"Just a simple eggs n' bacon," Sasha said with a soft hum as she made sure that both items on the dish were being cooked fully without passing over that threshold where it would be burnt. Taking her eyes off the food for a moment she turned to look at Finn. "How'd you sleep?"

"Not bad, not bad at all," Finn said with a smile as he looked back over his shoulder at the couch like it could hear them talking. "You got a real keeper on your hands with that couch Sasha. How did you sleep?"

Grinning slyly at her friend and storyline mate, Sasha leaned into him but instead of kissing him like Finn thought she was going for she just brushed against his arm as she leaned up for the cabinet so she could pull out a pair of plates to put the food on since it was almost done. "It was a good sleep. You have a future as a mattress Finn, you know if this wrestling thing doesn't work out."

The two shared a soft chuckle as they settled in at the island in the kitchen, sitting next to each other and enjoying both a simple meal and a casual, friendly conversation. Over the sound of the metal silverware clanging off porcelain plate, Finn's question emerged. "Ready for TakeOver?" They only had a month left but it was right around the corner.

"You know it," Sasha replied after she wiped down her mouth a napkin, her words with a bit of a kick in her voice from how confident she was in her task… even if that meant defeating her best friend, her sister.

"Good because you'll need to be ready, both of you will if you want to have a chance to compete with me and Kevin." Comfortable enough with her, Finn felt fine giving out a bit of smack talk to his fellow Champion, friendly of course.

"More like you are going to need it. Bay and I are going to steal that show. When they think of the first NXT TakeOver they will think Sasha Banks versus Bayley." Propping her elbows on the countertop and smirking at Finn, she tipped her head to the side some. "Though I guess you boys can have a pretty decent match."

Laughing at her snarky comment, Finn shook his head amused by the insinuation that his match with Kevin Owens would be just _okay_. "Just okay she says…" Finn mumbled back a smile and a short burst of laughter prior to him finishing off his breakfast.

Finished with his meal, Finn got to his feet and moved his plate and fork over to the sink, doing the most he could to help with the cleanup before he headed out. "Thanks for the breakfast Sasha. I should probably get my show on the road. I have some errands to finish before devoting myself to the gym and training."

Springing up to get to her feet as well, Sasha followed Finn from the kitchen to the door where his shoes and bag was still sitting. "Yeah, I guess I should do the same. Can't let Bayley take my baby from me." She was a bit disappointed Finn was heading out but they both had things to do. "You can go after I get a hug."

Having no problem with that Finn wrapped his arms around her and pulled her right into a hug that Sasha was more than happy to not only be within but return. "See you soon Sasha."

* * *

It was finally the night, August 22, 2015, and the much-hyped show that was NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn was getting into the swing of it with some start of the card festivities and matches. His match wasn't until the main event so Finn had been spending the time before the show and even the first match out in a v.i.p area to soak in the atmosphere a bit before getting out there, center stage.

He knew tonight would be special, hell everyone knew tonight was going to be special but seeing the Game out there standing in the middle of his creation with over fifteen thousand people chanting NXT brought goosebumps up and down his arms.

In fact, he was just sitting back watching the beginning of the Breeze and Liger match when he felt a hand touching his shoulder. Jerking out of surprise, Finn suddenly turned around and found the smiling face of Sami Zayn looking at him. "Woah, a little jumpy there Finn?"

Chuckling at how silly he must have look, Finn rubbed under his nose with the side of his fingers before getting out of his seat and shaking Sami's hand. "Sorry, sorry I was just a bit focused on the ring." Actually, he was more focused on all the people screaming, chanting, clapping and everything else but saying the ring was a more respectful answer. "What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be in rehab?"

He really should have been but that didn't stop him from being here in Brooklyn. Sami threw an arm around Finn and gave a soft laugh. "Like I was going to miss the first TakeOver! This is huge for everyone at NXT past and present! Plus you're in the main event so I gotta watch."

All it took was talking about it to get the Irishman jittery, almost bouncing underneath of Sami's arm, the grin stretching further by the second. "And it's a ladder match to boot! I'm so freaking excited!"

His excitement and attitude were infectious and before he knew it Sami was grinning too, the ginger-haired man giving his friend a sideways smirk. "Speaking of your match Finn, don't you think that you should be back there stretching or something?"

As much as he wanted to hang out with Sami and talk about whatever they could he knew that being the responsible, professional champion surpassed wanting to hang out with his friends. Sighing the NXT Champion deflated some before perking upright with a nod of his head. "You're right. Here, use my spot for the rest of the show and don't miss the action.

Bidding goodbye to his friend, Finn snuck back past that metaphorical and literal black curtain. Taking a moment to breathe in the moment he was in, Finn looked around the backstage hallways where technicians and arena staff scrambled to and fro. The controlled chaos that was the backstage scene at a WWE event brought a light smile to the face of Finn Balor.

"Better get to the locker room, the painter is probably already there and waiting…" Finn murmured with a smile. There was no real way to describe the depth of pride inside of him for representing this show on this scale. Distracted by the grandeur around him, Finn failed to note what was happening around him as he navigated his way to the door with his name on it.

He was snapped out of his trance when someone intercepted his hand mid-movement to the door handle, the interception coming in the form of someone else's hand wrapped around his wrist. Glancing down at the darkly painted fingernails over the top of his clothing, Finn looked up and was not surprised to see Sasha standing there with a smile.

"What's up Sasha? I was about to get a start on my paint." Finn gestured, sticking a finger at the black metal door that had his name on the door, demon decal along the bottom of it like an underline.

"I just wanted to wish you luck in your match and let you know how much fun this program with you has been. I know I was testy about it at the start but I am really glad to have been wrong." Sasha said with nothing but her smile and resolute eye contact. Maybe even a week ago she'd be bashful about such forward interaction but after that night they spent cuddling she felt a lot better about things like this.

Blinking once, Finn stared at Sasha for a moment before a large smile spread across his face and he nodded his head. "I couldn't have said it any better myself. Good luck with your match too! I'll be watching while I get the paint put on me."

Humming, Sasha's smile turned into a playful grin when she realized that she could use this situation to tease Finn. Purposefully fluttering her eyelashes up at her friend, Sasha took a step forward and to the side so she was in front of the NXT Champion. "Maybe you'll give me a kiss for good luck then, hmm?"

In a show of progress for Finn, instead of blushing at her bold propositioning he merely looked around with a nervous look… but thankfully it was just the two of them so no one heard what she said. "C'mon Sasha, stop fooling around."

Sasha pushed Finn against his door, with a hand on his chest. Slowly she leaned up so she was hovering right in front of his face, the smirk on her face down right impish. Unlike Finn, she was in her wrestling gear so she felt her skin sliding on Finn's close as she moved in closer. "But I'm not kidding…"

With nothing else to do but give her what she wanted, Finn leaned down closer until he could smell her shampoo that she used to get ready for the show. He'd give her a kiss but not the kind she expected when his lips touched down on her forehead.

People might have been shocked but none more so than Sasha who didn't expect him to be so forward in the slightest. His affectionate gesture causing Sasha's eyes to widen as she looked up at Finn almost in awe. "Finn, you…"

She wouldn't be given the chance to finish what she wanted to say because Finn gently pushed her back with a smirk on his face, happy to have gotten her for once instead of the other way around. "Good luck" Finn stated with a bit of smirk, his eyes dancing with mirth as he finally got one over on Sasha and before she got the chance to respond he slid into his locker room.

* * *

 _Bayley to Belly_

 _1...2...3!_

The bell rang and the classic that Bayley and Sasha had just put on had come to a conclusion that not only left the two in the ring feeling so many emotions but also had the crowd on their feet cheering and clapping so loudly it felt like thunder down in the ring. As the cheering rained down on them both women had to stay down for a moment as they tried to hold back the tide of emotion that wanted to rush from them.

When she did get the belt, admittedly she didn't really hear what the referee was saying to her, she knew his lips were moving but all she could focus on was winning her first title in NXT and what that meant to her dream that started all the way back when she was a little girl. She wanted to cry in happiness but she didn't… at least she wouldn't start crying yet.

So absorbed in the moment Bayley didn't even realize there were other people in the ring until Charlotte and Becky swarmed her, trapping her between them as they embraced her, words of excitement and happiness flowing from them as they congratulated her. When they picked her up and carried her across the ring she would have cried if she wasn't so drained so instead she lifted the belt proudly.

And then they were hugging again but this time Bayley could see that her friends in the ring were about to cry to and it only intensified her want to cry but that was when she saw Sasha standing there and once again they hugged sniffling into the other and it would cut away from them all standing in the ring four fingers up and smiles on their face.

With Finn…

The paint had just got done on his back and just in time because the hyper active, high-octane ending of Sasha's and Bayley's match had finally concluded in one emotional outburst between all four of the Horsewomen that revolutionized women's wrestling throughout the entire industry.

And Finn, well he had a sneaking hunch that he was going to have a visit from a very emotional Sasha Banks so he quickly finished the last laces of his wrestling boots with the shin guards fastened around his foot to protect his ankles. He got to his door headdress in hand for his Demon's appearance and just as the door closed behind him Sasha turned the corner right at him, her eyes were dry now but the drain was obvious on her.

Then without so much as a word she threw herself at Finn's chest, her face buried against his painted chest using the strength of her confidant to keep her upright as she listened to the sound of his calm heart beating beneath his chest. She felt happy there and that happiness only increased when Finn wrapped an arm around her.

She wanted to be selfish and tell Finn to stay with her to help cheer her up after her championship match loss but she knew he had work to do so she pushed off his chest and finally took in how he looked. "You look… dangerous." She mused with a soft smirk making Finn chuckle.

"I'll take it as a compliment, a Demon is meant to be dangerous," Finn said with a devilish smirk as he rolled his shoulders making the teeth painted on his collar to roll from right to left like a wave rippling across a flat surface. "I've gotta go but you can stay in there if you'd like," Finn said with a smile as he walked to do his entrance with one hand holding his headdress and the other his NXT Title.

Sasha looked at Finn with a smile, not a forced one but a true, genuine smile. Being around Finn for even a few moments had done plenty for her mood and she was grateful for that. "I'll be watching Finn, go out there and kick some ass!"

Finn who was chuckling started to walk away but not before lifting his hand, a gesture that let Sasha know that he heard her last bit of encouragement.

Finn saw on the televisions before the ramp that Kevin was greeting his family, sharing a moment before he got back in the ring and stared up the ramp waiting… He didn't have to wait long because the music hit, the lights went out for the most part and the crowd went wild as red smoke flooded the entrance ramp. And then he emerged from the blood red smoke and the crowd at the Barclays went wild.

Left hand forward

Right hand forward staggered

A dysfunctional drag of his legs that made him look like a snake slithering forward and then the music escalated and the lights went up and so did Finn, arms high in the air as the lights shone on him. Whirling around, planting his legs, and Finn's arms went up again, the maestro for the rest of the NXT world to follow as his back was left facing the ring. Dropping back to the ground he started to crawl again and the Demon was at his gold.

The Demon stared down at the brilliant gold almost like the shine and luminosity of the prize had the creature from the dark in a trance. Glancing left and then to the right, the Demon hurriedly snatched the belt from the ramp and staggered towards the ring.

Slinging the belt into the ring NXT's Demon drug himself up the stairs and flung himself into the ropes. Staring out into the endless wave after wave of fans, the Demon was motionless before climbing atop the turnbuckle as smoke shot up encasing the Demon in the smoke he arose from. Arms up once then twice the crowd followed the lead of their champion in a fleeting moment of precarious living. Dropping back into the ring Finn hailed the NXT belt in the center of the ring, lunging on his knees around the title before pouncing on it and shooting up title up and headdress off as the lights came back to the arena.

There was a brief staredown before introductions were made and the NXT title was hoisted up high into the air, only reachable with the aid of one of the many ladders surrounding the ring like a swarm of sharks. The bell rang and then Finn and Kevin stepped to the center of the ring under the belt staring the other down with Kevin doing all the trash talking.

Essentially pie facing Finn, Kevin went to scramble outside the ring to grab a ladder but he, in turn, was dragged back into the ring where he was pummeled on by a bunch of quick fists and forearms that pushed KO back into the corner. Though the difference between the smaller Finn and Kevin was shown when all it took was one heavy forearm from Kevin to drive Finn back, stumbling from the impact to his jaw.

Finn tried to jump back on Kevin but was met with a stiff shot to the gut that left him bent over gasping. Kevin quickly went bounding off the ropes using them for the extra momentum that ultimately delivered him straight into a dropkick by Finn. Then it was from corner to corner, chops into the chest each time, just wearing down Kevin. However, it didn't work out because after a few dodges and continues KO hit Finn flush with the back of his elbow. Nudging the Demon on his back, Kevin dropped his weight on Finn with a senton.

The natural progression of the fight was to spill outside of the ring but before he got there Kevin cut him off and spiked the Demon's head into the second turnbuckle, dropping Finn to a seated position against the bottom turnbuckle. Taking off to the corner opposite, KO rushed forward throwing his body in a rolling motion that had him crushing Finn into the turnbuckle.

"It's time…" Kevin shouted to the audience who cheered him, the confidence flowing through him as he dragged Finn up to his feet. When Balor was on his feet, Kevin tossed him off the ropes but instead of coming back Finn hooked the ropes and held out. Kevin went to clothesline him over the top rope but ate a boot to the face for his trouble before Finn slung around his neck and threw him to the mat with a Slingblade. Finn was ready to dropkick him straight back but instead of getting blasted, Kevin rolled out and made his way to the ladder.

This, however, left Kevin Owens open to being jumped on from behind, the impact from Finn's rear assault knocking his head off the ladder and dropping him to the entrance ramp holding his forehead. Closing up the ladder, Finn dragged the metal and steel contraption down the ramp with it trailing behind him, dragging across the ramp.

Hot on Finn's heels, Kevin not only caught up but managed to snag the lower end of the ladder which turned quickly into a tug-of-war over the ladder that was a stalemate up until instead of pulling KO pushed driving the ladder into Finn's abdomen and Finn back into the LED board on the side of the ring.

With the Demon pinned KO rammed the black and white striped ladder higher into his body under his chest further knocking the air out of Finn's lungs. Yet even that wasn't enough for the Prizefighter as he turned the ladder around so Finn was trapped in the V-like curve at the end of the ladder.

Soon their fight carried them all the way to the opposite of the ring, each man just laying in punch after punch to his adversary until their conflict took them over the security barricade and onto the concrete floor in the midst of the live crowd. Reverse whipped into the unprotected side of the barricade, Finn's groan rung out almost like a growl as he crumbled to his knees. Taking advantage of the position Kevin went to powerbomb him into the metal of the barricade but was reversed and body dropped back onto the mats ringside.

Finn tried to follow up with a flying forearm but was caught out rather easily and drove back first into the barricade and before he even had a chance to fall, Kevin sent him ricocheting off the announce table, like a stone being skipped across a lake only to crash into a corner of the barricade to the right of the table. Finn had landed in a mostly upright spot but was sent down when KO picked up the wooden top to the announce table and literally tossed it at Finn cracking him in the head with it.

While Finn recovered from the crack to his skull Kevin Owens climbed on top of the announce table and held his arms out wide like he was begging them to taunt him but instead his fans cheered for him. Ignoring the positive reaction from the crowd KO turned to the ring and pointed to the belt hanging above the squared circle. "That's mine!"

With the ladder left all the way around the other side of the ring, Kevin went under the ring to uncover the second ladder with the intention taking said ladder and climbing it to victory. Before sliding into the ring, Kevin Owens with the ladder in his hands turned to check on Finn and for his troubles, he saw as Finn came running across the table to dropkick the ladder straight into his face.

Finn paid for his attack as well because when the ladder was knocked from Kevin's hands the cold, cutting metal landed right on the leg of Finn Balor trapping it as he tried to writhe himself free, crying out in pain as he finally worked his leg free of the ladder that had taken a pound of flesh from both the champion and the challenger who were now out prone on the rear facing end of the ring.

Despite the fact that he was hobbling with a limp leg, Finn was the first one to get to his feet and the first one to get back in the ring, sending the ladder in front of him. Now safe in the ring, the Demon looked up at the belt glowing under its spotlight and pulled the ladder towards the center but he didn't get far with Kevin Owens holding the ladder back.

Quickly dropping the ladder and bouncing off the ropes, Finn went sailing over the top rope and came crashing down on Kevin Owens driving him back down onto the floor outside with a perfectly execute flip over the top rope which went off with a pop from the crowd. An NXT chant quickly took hold.

Finn set up the ladder and got nearly half-way up the rungs of the ladder and he would have made it if it were not for Kevin Owens who chose that moment to get into the ring and pull Finn down by the foot. Then not wasting anytime Kevin took Finn and bounced him off the side of the ladder driving both Finn and the ladder to the ground.

Tossing Finn out of the ring like garbage but it was a touch too close and Finn's hand and wrist smacked off the ladder making the Demon curse under his breath. With the ring cleared of his opponent, Kevin Owens placed the ladder back where it needed to be and started to force himself to climb, rung after rung. However, Finn tried to get back in with a ladder of his own forcing KO to drop back to the mat.

Kevin stomped down on the ladder forcing Finn to drop the ladder if he wanted to continue the fight and naturally he did but KO was faster when he threw Finn into the buckles and used his fist to keep him groggy as he held the ladder and tossed it at Finn who dodged at the last second and pushed Kevin into the ladder, face first.

Trying a second time to land his shotgun dropkick but this time into the ladder, Finn stayed crouched low in the corner opposite of KO and when the Canadian superstar got to his feet Finn rushed for him but was met by Kevin who delivered a vicious clothesline that bounced Finn's head off the mat, leaving the Demon with a far-away look in his eyes.

Not giving the champion the chance to breathe Kevin once again took a ladder and used it as a battering ram, delivering a fierce, heavy impact right to Finn's chest and elbow, the pain dropping Finn to the canvas writhing in pain. Planting the ladder flat, Kevin scooped Finn up and delivered a slam right onto the ladder making Finn cry out but it only got worse when KO dropped a senton on Finn compressing him into the ladder only furthering the agony of the Demon as he writhed and scrambled off the ladder grunting in pain.

"This is my house!" Kevin screamed out before he stood over the fallen Demon and threw his arms up in the air clearly mocking the Irish born champion much to the delight of some and the dismay of others. Setting the ladder on its side and spreading it out so the two sides were parted some exposing a very hazardous plane. Throwing Finn between his thighs, Kevin tried to heave Finn up to powerbomb, his second attempt but like the first time he was flipped over and the ladder he planned on tooling did damage to him.

Everyone could see the breath leave KO for a moment as his body laid there limp for a few more moments until he gathered enough energy to roll off the side of the ladder that was now bent slightly from the impact of the man landing flush on it. As both men took a few moments to recover the crowd around the ring started a _Holy_ _Shit_ chant at KO's landing.

First to his feet was Balor who quickly tried to set up a ladder and climbed it. He got halfway up the shakey, bent ladder before he was pulled down and bounced off the metal ladder in the corner by Kevin Owens. Sliding down the ladder, Finn was in perfect position to be canon balled on by Kevin but at the last moment he slid out of the way and Kevin threw his body into the ladder that nearly fell on top of the large man when it came down.

By the time Kevin got to his feet Finn was already in the opposite corner, running across the ring to blast him back into the corner with a shotgun dropkick. Finn had to be careful to not land on the ladder just behind him but he hit the move clean, dropping KO near the center of the ring. Knowing what came next, the crowd's energy levels started to pick back up… it was that excitement that pushed Finn's aching body up the turnbuckle.

Leaping off the top, high into the air, Finn brought his knees high up into his chest before driving a double foot stomp through the heart of Kevin Owens whose body went rigid at the impact just before he rolled onto his chest.

With his finisher hit, Finn went right for the ladder and set it up in the center of the ring right under the title that hung over the ring. Scaling the rungs of the ladder like a creature meant to climb, Finn got just high enough to paw at the belt yet before he could truly reach the belt Kevin was up and hugging one of his ankles preventing him from getting higher.

Kevin tugged at Finn's ankle once and on the second pull, he yanked Finn right off the ladder into a position to spike Finn brutally into the mat with a powerbomb off the ladder. The impact was so fierce that not only did the crowd pop but Kevin fell onto his back and Finn looked like he had been knocked out as he laid there eyes wide and motionless.

It took nearly twenty-five seconds for things to get going again after the high impact spot but that resting period was paid off by another brutal collision as Finn tipped over the ladder Kevin was climbing sending Kevin's back and neck rebounding harshly of the buckles. The impact was so severe that it brought a referee over from outside but Kevin pushed him away as he fell out of the ring leaving Finn alone with two ladders.

Finn turned to set up one of the ladders when he was pulled out of the ring from behind by Kevin. Owens stuck Finn's head between his legs and lifted him up to drive Finn into the ringside with a powerbomb but thankfully for the Demon he was able to grab the top rope and hold on. Kevin who was left in a momentary state of shock was victimized by a running kick that looked like it took his head off his shoulders.

Looking to finish Kevin for good, Finn went for another double foot stomp from the ring apron to the floor but KO rolled out of the way and when Finn ran to him he kicked the Demon in the gut and savagely spiked his opponent into the ring apron with a brutal pop-up powerbomb.

Things got dangerous after that because instead of staying down, Finn crawled back into the ring refusing to let Kevin win. This led to Kevin setting up a ladder to climb with another lodged between the bottom two rings and the bottom turnbuckle, almost like it was a table. Grabbing Finn's hand and forcefully dragging him up the ladder as he climbed the side over the ladder-table.

The whole crowd seemed to rise with the men as they got to the top of the ladder. That anticipation turned into a tense excitement when Kevin hooked Finn up in a Fisherman Suplex on top of the ladder with every intention of suplexing him onto that ladder behind him.

After countering the suplex three times, Finn hit Kevin with three forearms which allowed him to bounce Kevin's head off the top of the ladder which was the final blow that sent KO plummeting off the ladder and onto the ladder below. The sick crash of flesh on metal as Kevin bounced off the ladder left the crowd gasping before they erupted with applause for both men.

When Finn turned around to the center of the ring he reached out to try and grab the belt but it was out of reach, the ladder was just not centered. Finn looked at the belt almost at a loss before he looked down and saw his opponent in the middle of the ring. The idea of what was coming next became clear on his face and Finn did not disappoint when he leaped from the top of ladder and delivered one last double foot stomp that allowed him to claim his title from the top of the ring.

As the bell rang and he was pronounced the winner, Finn stood there at the top of the ring with one arm holding the belt up and the other pointing one finger up as he looked skywards with his eyes closed. In that moment Finn was thankful the refs were in to hold the ladder for him because he felt like his legs were jelly right now.

As he walked up the ramp Finn Balor was many things. He was sore, he was exhausted, he was satisfied but most importantly he was the proud champion of NXT, the Face of NXT.

Pushing the curtain open, the sound of the crowd cheering was replaced by the staff and some of the talent clapping but the first person there to congratulate him was not Triple H, William Regal, Bayley, Sami or Sasha. It was the man he defeated who immediately wrapped him in a hug, the belt trapped between them as the two best friends embraced. "I'm proud of you Finn… you deserve this."

Leaning on Kevin for support just like Kevin was leaning on him, Finn patted his friend's back as he spoke in the same hushed whisper. These were words between friends and the to-himself star wanted to keep it that way. "I couldn't have done it without you. Thank you for giving me one my best matches ever."

Separating from Finn with a smile, Kevin fixed the belt properly over Finn's shoulder and nodded in approval of how it looked on Finn. Gold just seemed to fit on him. "I know you have to talk to some people here but I'd really appreciate it if you could meet my family Finn. They really want to meet you, especially my son."

"Sure thing pal!"

* * *

It may have only been thirty minutes since his match in the main event of TakeOver but Finn was ready to call it a night. He had spent twenty of those thirty talking and being congratulated by NXT management and superstars alike. Then there were ten minutes meeting Kevin Owen's parents and son which Finn actually enjoyed very much. He even agreed to send some signed merchandise for his son.

But now he was ready to go to his locker room and shower off the sweat and paint before going back to the hotel and getting a well-deserved good night's rest. Or at least that was what the plan was until he opened the door and was immediately pounced on by Sasha, her arms wrapped around his neck and her legs around the small of his back.

Her hug while appreciated almost took the tired champion off his feet but thankfully for them both he managed to brace himself in time to support both of them as Sasha tried to hug the remaining life out of him. "You did it!" She cheered, where she was feeling disappointed at her loss she now felt exhilarated for Finn's win.

Honestly, after being thrown around and hit with ladders for the better part of forty minutes Finn had totally forgotten that he told Sasha she could stay here in his locker room… but it was a pleasant surprise. Chuckling at her excitement Finn couldn't help but feel better thanks to her enthusiasm. "I did but you should probably let go before we both fall."

Laughing at his blunt honesty, Sasha untangled herself from Finn and stood on her own two feet once again. "Yeah, and I wouldn't want to get paint all over my clothes," Sasha said with a playful tone of superiority that was often saved for being on camera or in front of the fans. Letting her act crack with her smirk, Sasha looked at Finn. "Ready to go out and celebrate? We're literally like a train ride away from New York?"

Snorting at the idea, Finn placed the belt he just finished successfully defended across one of the chairs set up in his locker room. He instantly shook his head at the idea. "If by celebrate you mean take a shower and go get some sleep then yes." A warm soak in the shower to help his muscles which also would clean the paint away.

Sasha hummed, her critical eyes traveling up the front of Finn's body as they took in the physique of his body. She quickly came to the deduction that the broken sections of paint did nothing to reduce the visual appeal of his abs. "If you need someone to help wash the paint off I offer my services."

The Irishman cocked his brow up as he looked down at Sasha who was a few inches shorter than him. "Taking one for the team huh?" Finn asked with a slightly amused smirk pulling at the corner of his mouth.

Feeling his gaze on her, Sasha looked up and met Finn's smirk with a smirk of her own. Her head tilted to the side similar to the slight popping out of her hip. "Something like that…"

"Sorry to disappoint but I think I am showering alone tonight," Finn said with a chuckle that grew in volume when he saw the pout further on the lips of his friend. He was doing his best to figure out their relationship with each other, a shower together seemed a bit over the boundary right now.

Relenting, the Boss stepped out of the way and motioned to the washroom that she had been inadvertently blocking. "Fine…" She said with an extended drawl to make it seem like she was more annoyed that she really was which was to say not annoyed at all. She knew Finn was going to turn her down. That was just Finn. "But I'm sleeping in your bed, I want my pillow back."

Finn who was walking into the washroom paused mid-step. He sighed internally but the smile on his face was undeniable. You win some and you lose some, and as he thought about it he was very much the winner on this night.


	6. Chapter 6

As Finn sat there in his locker room looking at his reflection in the gold plated letters that he had been representing for months, just reflecting back on the past few months and how things had changed from becoming champion. The first and maybe most important thing about becoming champion was that it was the fruition of a dream that a much younger Finn had watching then WWF television. He was a champion in WWE, not the same caliber as his heroes growing up in his humble opinion but a champion nonetheless.

The second, unexpected thing that came with this belt was his relationship with Sasha. It was confusing on the more intimate parts because he wasn't sure if it was her selling a storyline or genuine. There was one thing he was sure about though and that was that she had become his second best friend behind Kevin Owens. Thinking about it was enough to get Finn smiling as he looked down at the belt that so changed his life.

It had been a bit since Brooklyn and things were starting to become normal for Finn Balor. He was no longer really working with Sasha since the Boss and the champion Bayley were working on one last program, Sasha's swan song before she would go to the main roster full time. Of course, he was disappointed not getting to hang out with a busy Sasha but he was also happy for her like he was for Kevin. They were accomplishing their dreams.

Now that didn't mean Finn was left in the cold with nothing to do. It was actually quite the opposite in that regard. He had been busier than usual thanks to the new program he was starting with Samoa Joe, an old friend. He and Joe had been entered in the Dusty Rhodes Classic, a Tag Team tournament in honor of the American Dream, one of the men most important to the class of NXT Superstars.

Finn personally thought that it was strange to have both he and Joe on a team because neither of them really had the amount of experience with Dusty that some of the other superstars had but this was a means to an end, with the end being a rivalry between him and Joe.

Finn looked up when the door to his locker room was pushed open and he smiled at the sight of his current tag team partner, Samoa Joe. Joe was already in his wrestling gear with a white towel around the back of his neck like an old school prizefighter. "Ready to go champ? We got the Mechanics to start the show."

Nodding, Finn stood up recalling the pre-show meeting that they had with Triple H with the story for their match. It would be Finn and Joe's first match of the night and once they won they'd face another team. Snapping the belt around his waist, the NXT Champion got into his leather jacket and chuckled. "They really need a better name."

Even Joe who was always intensely focused smirked at the small crack at their opponent's silly name. "Tell me about. You got first billing with the entrance. See you out there champ." The large Samoan then clapped Finn on the back with a bit more force than usual making him stumble a bit.

He had done it hundreds of times, so many times that he was almost able to do it with his eyes closed. When darkness went to light Finn's arms went up and then he spun showing his Balor Club jacket to the crowd as his arms went up again, a maestro in front of his captive audience.

And before he knew it he was standing in the ring as Joe's music hit, the music sounding like the beating of a war drum while the crowd added an intoned chant of _Joe_ that mixed so well with the music that Finn had to actively hold himself back from bobbing his head.

When both of them were in the ring instead of paying attention to the Mechanics, Finn and Joe were busy discussing who would start off the tag match. In the end, they agreed it should be Joe but before Finn had the chance to fully get out of the ring he was hip-checked from off the ringside to the arena floor by Dash Wilder.

The red haired man quickly paid for his blind side attack when Joe took him to a corner and started to beat him down with a straight fist barrage. When the assault finally came to an end Joe looked to the corner and saw Finn still not there so he threw Wilder back into the corner to receive a barrage from both his fists before getting slapped across the chest with a chop.

A two corner beatdown was not enough for the Samoan Submission Machine and he proved it when he grabbed the back of Wilder's neck and threw him to a third corner. Backing up, Joe ran forward to splash Wilder but missed when Scott Dawson pulled his teammate out of the way leaving Joe to land on nothing but buckle.

Taking advantage of the stunned man, Wilder threw him to the mat and started to stomp on Joe's broad chest, the impact of each stomp shaking Joe back into the mat. Stuck over in their corner Finn was forced to watch as all the momentum Joe got was cut down by the double beatdown by Dash and Dawson. Fresh tags in and out kept the beatdown going and all the referee could do was continue to restart his five count and force them out.

Finally, they made their mistake when Wilder brought Joe into the middle of the ring where he was finally able to counter and block to build some more momentum which led to Dawson tagging in to try and stop Joe. He failed because Joe ducked under a lariat and was finally able to tag in the NXT Champion.

Dawson sprinted to Balor in hopes of cutting him off before he could even jump in but he got a kick to the side of the head from Finn sending the bald wrestler stumbling back. Leaping over the top rope Finn dropped Dawson to the mat before he turned his attention to Dash giving him a kick to the side of the head for the cheap shots he took as well.

When he turned back around Dawson was in a corner the perfect spot for a running knife edge chop that cut through the arena getting the crowd to sing out a _Wooooo_ while Dawson cried out in pain from the sting. Finn hit one more before dropkicking both Dawson and Dash out to the ringside area in front of the ramp, Wilder first then Dawson.

The long-term tag team outside tried to get it together as the NXT audience started to chant for their Champion. It was a chant that fueled Finn as he went flying over the top rope diving out and taking both men of the tag team out with him much to the delight of both Finn's fans and his partner.

By the time Dawson rolled in Finn had everything set up to go for the finish but one more time Dash Wilder ran interference allowing his teammate to land a ferocious chop block to Finn's knee. With Finn rolling around in pain on the canvas the two men who were all about reviving the old school went to work on Finn's leg and knee, slow and boring but brutally effective.

It took a long while but Finn finally created some space by knocking both of his opponents to the outside. Holding his injured knee, Finn turned to his well-rested and raring to go partner and made the leap to tag him in but the functioning team of Wilder and Dawson were a step ahead as Dash pulled Joe off the apron cutting the tag off.

Furious that he was cheated by the redhead tag team wrestler Joe made for a full sprint towards and into the ring causing the ref to jump in front of him to try and get him out of the ring. With the man in the stripes distracted Scott and Dash were able to nail a backbreaker and elbow drop that left Finn contorted up painfully. Dawson went for the pin and got a near three that left him in disbelief and Samoa Joe reeling with relief on the apron, both men with heads in their hands.

The Irishman finally managed to make a tag and Joe came in like a house on fire as he reeled off rapid-fire right hands that snapped Dash's jaw back on repeat until Joe sent him off the ropes. Hitting Joe's body, Wilder was elevated and dropped atomically making him cringe and hold his groin. Getting in the corner the Samoan Submission Machine spiked Wilder in the mat.

Joe hauled Wilder's motionless body up onto the top buckle and started to set him up for a muscle buster when Finn had Joe tag him in. The Muscle Buster was hit followed by Finn's Coup de Gras which did enough damage to Finn's already suffering knee but it was enough to get the pin.

In the end, Finn had to be helped to the back by Joe but that was just the two of them selling the angle for later tonight to the perfect degree. After the two vanished behind the curtain the only thing that was important was the knee of the NXT Champion from both the commentator perspective as well as the fans… which just meant that the two professionals had done their job.

* * *

The show continued on and Finn was safely put back in his locker room where he could move around freely, do some stretches, and just generally operate like he would without fear that he'd be breaking character when not even five to ten minutes ago he was in the middle of the ring with one good leg to his name.

As he thought about his second and final match of the night, Finn couldn't help but give a chuckle that bounced off the walls of the room around him. "Man, am I glad that I am not Joe in this next match." He was no stranger to helping sell a 'Monster' and in this tag match, Joe was going to have to help sell two of them. "Better him than me." He finished with another chuckle.

"Should I be worried that you're talking to yourself?"

Surprised because he didn't hear anyone sneak their way in, Finn spun around tense but that all left him when he saw Sasha standing there in her wrestling gear with a shirt over her torso, hands on her hips and a smirk on her painted lips. Knowing he was caught red handed Finn just chuckled and rubbed the back of his head sheepishly.

"What's up Sasha?" Finn asked taking a seat, eager to move past what just happened but also very happy to be seeing the woman he had been spending so much time with both on camera and off of it… and admittedly they were some of the best times he had since coming to NXT from Japan.

A frown briefly flashed across Sasha's face prior to her letting out an annoyed sigh, not at Finn but just generally annoyed. "There's just so much noise running around there. I had to get away from it all." She muttered, running one of her hands through her long hair.

Finn's face scrunched up in confusion and his head tilted to the side with that same kind of confusion evident on his face. "Huh, what do you mean?" The way she put it made the environment sound kind of antsy which usually wasn't the case from what he had experienced at least.

"It's just that everyone is on my case if I am okay since this is my last NXT show and they all want to smother me with good wishes and the like but I am just trying to get myself ready to put on a show." Sasha went on ranting, throwing and slashing her hand around a few times before her shoulders slumped and she sighed.

"So I thought I'd come to the one place left that was comfortable." She didn't say it but it was implied that she meant here with him and that made Finn smile at her. Wanting to get comfortable, Sasha dropped down on the bench beside Finn and laid her head on his shoulder. "I hope you don't mind?"

Their eyes met for a long few silent moments before Finn shook his head, silently telling her that he did not mind her being here. His answer was proven to be totally the right one when Sasha's beautiful smile shone at him. Holding his arm between her two arms, Sasha shifted her head a bit and closed her eyes contently, just leaning on Finn, cuddling him.

That was one of the good things about Finn Balor, Sasha realized… that he kept things quiet and mostly kept to himself even in a working environment like the WWE where social interaction was almost as natural as breathing. It also selfishly made Sasha feel special that she was one of the very few that Finn allowed in.

It wasn't long before Finn leaned back into Sasha letting her have that arm to lay on while he pushed the side of his head gently into the top of hers prompting the woman resting with him to lean in further and give a long, slow nuzzle. Slowly sliding her hand into Finn's when she felt him squeezing her hand in response she smiled brightly against his shoulder.

They had thirty-some minutes before Finn had his match and after that, her match and right now both the Boss and the Demon had plans to enjoy every last minute they could with each other down to the second. "Hey, Finn?"

"Yeah?" He responded after a moment sounding almost like he was ready to fall asleep with how long it took him to respond and how low his voice was when he finally did answer.

"Did you enjoy our time together?" Sasha asked quietly, her heart pounding in her chest faster and louder. For a moment she thought that her beating, the swelling heart might have been even louder than the volume of her voice, which only gave her more nerves about this silly as it seemed.

Finn readjusted his hand and Sasha's so that their fingers interlocked and he could properly feel her soft hand resting inside of his larger one. Squeezing her hand reassuringly, Finn gave a silent nod of his head. "The best time I've had in NXT, hands down."

Then just like that, all her nerves were replaced with an indescribable kind of happiness that went throughout her entire being calming her and leaving her with a slightly red blush. Sasha only hoped that Finn couldn't feel the heat on her cheeks that most certainly would have given her away. "I feel the same, Finn."

Almost inexplicably both separated, sitting upright for a moment before they both turned to look each other directly in the eyes. Neither of the two said a word and just stared longingly at the other's eyes until slowly both began to lean, Finn down and in with Sasha leaning up and in. They were maybe a moment away from kissing when an alarm suddenly went off shocking Sasha and reminding Finn.

"Shit gotta go match is gonna start soon! Good luck with your match Sasha!" And like that Finn was gone as he rushed out of the room towards the ring.

Sasha sat there staring at the door Finn exited from for a few moments before she brought her hand up to touch fingers against her lips. 'I was so damn close.' Sasha whined internally as she replayed that moment again in her head.

* * *

The Tag Team Tournament in the honor of Dusty Rhodes had just been completed and the victors were none other than Finn Balor, the NXT Champion and the world-renowned Samoa Joe which immediately gave this newly created award validity immediately. Bringing credibility to a newly made award was always the challenge but with two of the biggest names going in NXT being the inaugural trophy winners that was one thing NXT wasn't afraid of not having.

WWE management even decided it was for the best to bring in some of Dusty's immediate family into the ring for a small speech and presentation of the rather hefty trophy which in itself was a thrill for Finn who respected both Cody and Dustin Rhodes immensely. That was actually more exciting for the Irishman than getting a trophy was.

Cody was busy going over a speech he had prepared and he could feel Joe moving around the ring showing his excitement and respect for Dusty but Finn, he remained motionless just giving the occasional smile when he felt it was needed.

He looked distracted because he was distracted by the small part of him that told Finn that this wasn't an award that should have been his. He wasn't one of Dusty's Guys, he was one of the first class outside of Dusty Guys. Yet he still had a job to do so he held the appearance of someone who was proud to win… which he was, he was also just tired of being in the ring. Which is why when the cameramen asked him and Joe to raise up the trophy Finn cursed behind the facade of a smile but lifted it up, although it was obviously much lower on his side then it was Joe's. Part of that was because he was smaller and the other parts were him being tired and selling the bad leg he was supposed to have.

It wasn't long before the cameraman with word from production was able to inform them they were cutting to the piece between Bayley and Sasha and they were able to move around more freely. Of course, there was another round of hugs and congratulations between those in the ring before the squared circle started to empty.

The ring emptied in this order… the Rhodes family, then Samoa Joe, and finally Finn was the last to leave shooting the audience a Too Sweet before he hopped out of the ring so that the crew could get the trophy out of there and prepare the ring for the main event.

Making his way up the ramp Finn was swarmed on both sides from people looking for high fives or pictures and despite the craziness of having over a hundred people yelling at him from ringside Finn managed to get every last one of them before he vanished behind the curtain and into the backstage area.

Immediately Finn's body was hit by a much cooler atmosphere outside of the bright lights on the ring, a welcomed change that left him sighing, not that the soft noise was heard over the rest of the commotion going on around him. Snagging a towel and wiping down his face, head, the back of his neck and his shoulders, Finn slung the towel over one of his shoulders and knifed his way through all the traffic.

He had just gotten out of that packed, loaded room of chaos and fitting as it was waiting outside of there was Sasha who pulled her glasses up on top of her head. Finn didn't even have to say anything and neither did Sasha, they mere shared a look and Finn walked by brushing his hand against hers knowing that the Boss would do her thing.

When Finn walked past her Sasha took one more moment to center herself, taking a deep breath, holding it for a moment then releasing it. Slowing her heart down and focusing on the game plan, Sasha flipped down her shades with a smirk and swaggered on into the room right before the ramp.

From that point on things seemed to happen in fast forward. She couldn't remember doing her entrance let alone Bayley's but when she came to she was standing there staring across at Bayley who of course had a slight smile on her face but that was just the Hugger being the Hugger, her character. Wanting to maintain the integrity of her Heelish character without having to say a word, Sasha made sure that everyone in the crowd saw how her focused gaze never left the title, not even to look at her opponent. Disrespectful? Yes

Something the Boss would do? Definitely

The referee first showed the title to Bayley who gave it a longing look before nodding her head. Then he took the title and showed it to Sasha who quickly yanked it from his hands and held it up like she had already won it. Being a predominantly pro-Bayley crowd she was heavily booed for her disrespect. It was that booing which brought a massive, cocky smirk to the face of the woman called the Boss.

When and only when she was sure that her message had gotten through to everyone watching did Sasha give back the title to the referee so that the match could officially begin. For the briefest of moments Sasha had to correct herself, it was her last match. But as soon as that thought came it was banished from her mind. 'Can't be thinking like that, I need to focus on what I'm doing right now.'

When the bell went off immediately Bayley and Banks were tied up in a test of strength, turning and rotating positions so that each woman had the opportunity to establish the dominant position. In the end, Sasha got the best of Bayley and shoved the current champion off to the side with a look of steely determination that didn't falter even as the crowd around them chanted for Bayley.

Circling each other a few more times, Bayley and Sasha locked up again but this time Sasha got a clear advantage and was able to use a side headlock to bring Bayley down to the mat, setting up for a number of quick pinfalls with the third one being the closest as it netted the Boss a two count.

As soon as Bayley's shoulders pushed off the mat Sasha was back on top of her and re-locking in the headlock that not only put pressure on the Champion's neck but also made sure that neither of them burned too much energy with the rest of the match looming in front of them.

Next, it was Bayley's turn to mount some offense as she worked her way to a vertical base that eventually threw Sasha off and into the ropes and when she came back Bayley ran Sasha over with a shoulder tackle. Following that up with a quick succession of pinfalls, the Hugger introduced a small burst of adrenaline and got the crowd into cheering for her.

They continued to chain wrestle together pin after pin for another near two minutes before Sasha hit a meaningful move in the form of a beautiful dropkick that nailed Bayley on the jaw, dropping her down to the mat, in a corner. From Sasha's almost demeaning expression to the unsure one on Bayley's face the story was clear as if it had been said out loud. Sasha Banks was oozing confidence and Bayley, the Underdog Champion was unsure of herself.

But that was only for a second because in the next moment Bayley sprung up and hit Sasha with a lariat. Not happy with being knocked down, Sasha hurried back to her feet to knock down Bayley but her haste got her a pair of vicious but clumsy arm drags that left the former NXT Women's Champion prisoner of the current Champion's armbar.

Reversing with an arm drag, Sasa pretty much threw Bayley across the ring into the opposite corner and when the champ got up Sasha charged the corner. Leaping into Bayley's stomach knees first, Sasha missed when Bayley stepped to the side but Sasha recovered easily when she sprung up to the second buckle then up again so she could take Bayley's head and spike into the buckle.

Bayley knew it was coming though and caught the ropes feeding into the buckle just in time to stop her face from smashing the buckle; however, this left her back open and gave the Boss the time she needed to try and lock in the Banks Statement. Once again Bayley was ready and grabbed the ropes causing Sasha's move to fail as she fell to the ground. This time it was Bayley who went for her finisher causing Sasha to scramble away to the safety of a corner, much like Bayley did earlier.

Then something strange happened… Bayley went over to the Boss and offered her a hand to get up which Sasha took. Things didn't end there though because Bayley and Sasha hugged which might have been fitting for the champ but Sasha she took Bayley by the hair and pulled her down into the mat… as was fitting for the ruthless, success-driven Boss. They might have been friends out of the ring but this was her show, her time and she let Bayley know, verbally.

A pleased smirk worked its way onto Sasha's face as the crowd booed her for the dirty tactic against the lovable champion. It was fuel she used as she worked over the back of Bayley's neck, dropping elbow points into the base of her neck. Ready for the corner spot, Sasha whipped Bayley into the corner. "This is why I am the Boss!"

She ran right for Bayley but again she was cut off when Bayley turned her shoulder catching Sasha in the jaw. With the Boss staggering back Bayley was able to perform a spring off the second rope and arm drag Sasha again. This time it was Sasha who went rolling all the way across the ring to the opposite corner. Hot on her heels, Bayley crashed into Sasha with a jumping clothesline.

Crumbling to the mat like someone who had just done a sit up, Sasha cried out in pain when Bayley hit a whirling elbow right in her spine causing her to spring forward then back and as she came back Bayley dropped an elbow on Sasha's chest, driving her to the mat. Feeling her momentum spilling away Sasha tried to climb back to her feet but for her troubles, she was knocked out of the ring by a dropkick.

For the first time it seemed like Bayley was building actual momentum in the match, a thought further strengthened by the way Sasha was literally scrambling away from Bayley, as far as she could. She didn't get far though because Bayley came shooting under the bottom rope, cutting that corner and drop kicking Banks into the guardrail.

Rolling her adversary into the ring, Bayley waited an extra moment for the Boss to get to a hunched over position that gave her the opportunity to plant Sasha's face into the mat courtesy of a running bulldog. Bayley quickly flipped Sasha and hooked both legs pulling her into a deep cover that got her a two count.

Not wanting to give her opponent a second opportunity to land a pinfall, Sasha quickly rolled to the ropes but not fast enough because Bayley practically pounced on her. In her rush Bayley left herself open and got rolled up in a pin, a pin aided by Sasha's feet being on the ropes giving her more leverage but the ref saw it after only counting one and started to chide Sasha for her blatant cheating.

"What the hell! What was that!?" Sasha demanding like she wasn't cheating and it was the man in the stripes that was in the wrong in this situation. With her back turned, Sasha made for an easy target but at the second Sasha sidestepped and Bayley almost crashed into the referee. Thankfully she stopped herself but this allowed Sasha to do what Bayley tried to do but like Sasha, Bayley avoided the attack and it was Sasha who almost hit the referee.

In a moment of brilliance, Sasha stepped on the bottom rope and turned her back using her body to obstruct the ref's vision and allowing her to thumb Bayley right in the eye. As the champion was busy dealing with her blindness Sasha schoolgirl pinned Bayley and got the 1-2-3.

 _The score was 1-0,_ _Sasha Banks with about 21 minutes left._

Right after that the match turned into nothing more than the two women rolling around the mat trading mounted positions as they rained down fists on each other, not slaps but straight rights and lefts that demanded a guard be put or risk being knocked silly. It took a bit but Sasha was able to get the upper hand and forced Bayley into a corner.

Sasha laid Bayley horizontally across the second turnbuckle so her back was on one corner of the ropes and her legs were on the other. To make sure she stayed that way Sasha open hand chopped Bayley right on her exposed stomach with a loud, stinging sound. Seeing her opportunity, Sasha sprung up but before she could get knee spiked down, Bayley caught Sasha with her shoulder and dropped her chin first on the top buckle.

With her challenger in a vulnerable spot, Bayley went to push the advantage but Sasha lashed out with a kick to keep the distance. Bayley caught her foot then grabbed Sasha's other foot and pulled her up so she could drive her down but instead of that happening Sasha landed gracefully on her feet and nailed the champion with a straight elbow that could jar loose some teeth.

Hopping onto the top turnbuckle, Sasha had plans to jump down and land a crossbody but instead, she fell right into the waiting arms of the Hugger who swiveled her hips and lifted Sasha up and over with a ring-shaking Bayley to Belly that planted Sasha flat into the mat. Falling into the cover Bayley was the one to get the 1-2-3.

 _Everything was tied up at 1 with about 19 minutes left in the Ironman match._

Both women were exhausted from the first eleven minutes of the match but Bayley worked her way to her feet first, using the adrenaline from her win tying it up to push her to her feet first while Sasha rolled out of the ring where she was safe for at least a count of ten.

That was until Bayley rolled out and started to make a jog for the corner, jumping she slid under the bottom buckle again to dropkick Sasha for the third time. However, the third time proved to be the charm for the Boss who caught Bayley's legs then swung her to the right, body first into the heavy, unforgiving steel steps.

As the crowd gasped in concern and Bayley's number one fan Izzy ran to the guardrail to try and check on her favorite wrestler and role model, Sasha took the few moments afforded her to gather her breath and properly recover from taking Bayley's finishing move. Two seconds passed on the ref's count and Bayley was rolled into the ring but all Sasha got was a count of two.

Frustrated that her lead was no longer a thing, Sasha took Bayley out of the ring again and once again threw her shoulder and head first into the steel steps that vibrated from the impact of flesh on steel… but that wasn't enough for the Boss who pulled Bayley up by her hair and threw her into steps a third time. Grinning an arrogant, satisfied grin with the job she had done, Sasha stopped herself right in front of Izzy and almost got in her face. "This is your girl, right? What a joke, both of you!"

Very much the bad woman of NXT the crowd almost in unison booed her for something they thought was uncalled for, taunting a small girl like that, but in the eyes of the Boss, she hadn't gone far enough, not until she won back her NXT Women's Championship. When they both got back in the ring Sasha only got a count of two so she threw Bayley out of the ring like trash, a landing that tweaked Bayley's knee leaving her with a bad leg and bum shoulder now.

"Watch this" Sasha called out to Izzy as she dragged Bayley up the ramp by her slightly sidewards ponytail. Once at the top of the ramp Sasha threw Bayley into the video board of the timer making the screen short circuit and go fuzzy thanks to Bayley's body bouncing off it.

With her opponent downed and out Sasha Banks sashayed her way down the ramp right past Izzy but she didn't pass by her without incident because as she walked by she yanked the bow right off Izzy's head much to the surprise of the crowd and horror of Izzy. Rolling into the ring Sasha put the bow on her head and put her balled up hands under her eyes like she was crying as she circled her ring and the referee counted to 10.

 _Sasha Banks had taken the lead once again,_ _leaving the score at 2-1 with 15:45_ _left in the match._

Laying on her stomach in the ring, Sasha looked directly at Izzy who was on the verge of tears. Knowing she had the little girl on the edge, Sasha got back onto her feet and waved mockingly at the girl before she hurled the ribbon back at her. That was the last straw as the little girl started to cry with her father holding her… and with it, the crowd went absolutely wild.

Bayley did her best to drag her body down the ramp and roll back into the ring but as soon as her body went under the rope Banks was there with a baseball dropkick that forced Bayley back outside of the ring, not even letting the lovable champion back in the ring.

When the champ finally did get in the ring all she got for her troubles was Sasha alternating between stomping the small of her back and mocking her by acting like Bayley would which of course brought down more booing from the NXT crowd.

Backbreaker, Boston Crab, stomping the back of Bayley's neck. The former NXT Women's Champion had an assault that was flawless, striking every portion of Bayley's damaged body. Or that was the case until Sasha went back for a second Crab because Bayley caught her by surprise when she suddenly rolled Sasha up in a pin and got the fall.

 _One more time everything was tied up. This time the score was even at 2 and there was only just over twelve minutes left._

At first, there was disbelief that her lead had slipped from her fingers but that turned into a rage and anger that drove Sasha into truly brutalizing Bayley but when that wasn't enough to get another fall in her favor the anger turned into frustration.

Bayley and Sasha continued trading moves and near falls for seven minutes until Sasha got desperate enough to try a suicide dive from the ring to the outside. She didn't quite land it though because she landed in Bayley's arms... again and again, she was belly to belly suplex but this time onto the outside.

Quickly Bayley pushed Sasha into the ring but the referee's count only netted her a two and three fourths, so close but still not enough. With both women down trying to recover some energy for the home stretch, the crowd began chanting Ironwomen, an incredible moment fitting a history-making match.

Both women were nearly limp against each other at this point but slowly, almost painfully Bayley got enough strength to set Sasha up seated on the top turnbuckle. It might have taken all she had left but somehow Bayley gathered herself, ran up the buckles and hit a Bayley to Belly from the top buckle. All that momentum nearly rolled them out of the ring but eventually, Bayley got on top for a pin. The ref got a count of two when the fatigue caused Bayley to slump forward pushing Sasha's leg onto the ropes and breaking what would have been a go-ahead pinfall.

Slumped over the bottom rope that had just betrayed her, Bayley looked absolutely spent as did Sasha who was still flat on her back breathing heavily. Like they were moving through quicksand, both women slowly climbed back to their feet. Exhausted but wanting the gold they rushed each other and Sasha was a step quicker which allowed her to hit Bayley's finisher on Bayley.

 _One!_

 _Two!_

Bayley kicked out just before three but her momentum from kicking out so forcefully put her flat on her stomach which Sasha pounced on as she locked in her Banks Statement submission hold. Wrenching back on Bayley's neck, Sasha put all of her weight down on Bayley as she screamed for her to tap out right there in the center of the ring. The champ finally dragged herself to the ropes but before she could grab it Sasha used her foot to push off the rope, roll them back into the center of the ring, and re-lock in the submission.

Fighting through the pain of being in the Boss' submission for over a minute, somehow Bayley managed to get out of the hold but the damage was clearly done on the writhing champion. More tired than in pain with the seconds ticking down under a minute Sasha positioned herself behind Bayley, hands under the champ's chin. With the last of her energy, Sasha jumped to perform the backstabber that was the prelude to her Banks Statement.

But at the last moment, Bayley rolled over her knees and caught the Boss in a modified arm breaker that had both of Sasha's arms extended to that painful threshold. Stomping, bending the fingers, Bayley did everything she could and Sasha gave up as the last second came off the clock.

"The winner of the match and still NXT Women's Champion… it's Bayley!" Music and applause flooded the arena as the champion successfully defended her title in one of the greatest matches in NXT history, past or future.

Last time it was about the women who changed ladies wrestling but this time it was about Bayley as she stood there in the ring, the proud champion while the entire NXT roster plus William Regal, Triple H, and Stephanie McMahon stood at the top of the ramp applauding both women.

Sasha in pain and trying to fight back the tears from this being her last match in the brand that shaped her into a superstar didn't recognize what was happening around her until she looked to her left and saw that it Triple H. He mouthed to her that she was perfect in this match before he went down the ramp. And when he moved Finn was there holding a massive bouquet of flowers and a charming smile. "You were amazing!" He told her voice filled with admiration as he handed her the flowers.

That was all the physically and emotionally spent Boss could take as she crumbled right into Finn's arms obviously trying to fight back the tears as she let the man she had been working with, doing press tours with, and getting to know support her with his strength as the crowd around her chanted Thank You, Sasha.

Triple H seeing that Sasha was being taken care of hid his smirk as he walked down to the ring where Bayley was looking up the ramp to her friend nearly in tears herself. Stepping into the ring, the Game handed Bayley her assortment of flowers and the two shared an embrace, much like a Father would his Daughter.

Taking the hand of the victorious competitor, Triple H proudly raised Bayley's hand high as the crowd showered the Women's Champion in admiration and respect, a showing that was topped off by a chant of You Deserve It!

Back on the ramp, Sasha looked one more time at her friend with a warm smile before she turned and saw Finn focused on the ring, smiling and clapping. Without warning Sasha through her arms around Finn's neck and pulled him right into a kiss. The first to see it where those around them and behind them that were left wide-eyed in shock. The huge thing of flowers might have been blocking some of their faces but it was more than obvious how fierce of a kiss it was.

Yes, she was doing this for her and the feelings she had for Finn but she was also sending a message to anyone watching. _Finn Balor was hers._

Next to notice it was the crowd who had gone silent for a moment as their collective brain tried to reboot from seeing Sasha Banks actually kissing Finn Balor right there in front of their eyes but when they did recover the crowd began to whistle and cheer. Sasha slowly pulled back slightly red-faced from doing that in front of so many people but seeing the dazed look on Finn's face made her smile.

With one more look out to the crowd and setting she'd miss undoubtedly in the future, Sasha took Finn's hand and pulled him backstage and past the roster that was nice enough to part for them to get through.

It felt like she was moving faster than any time during the match but eventually Sasha had pulled Finn into an isolated, dead-end hallway. Sasha could feel the white brick wall cold on her heated flesh but she only had eyes for Finn who was looking at her with a surprised expression still. It made her smile.

"Sasha was that for the screen or was it…" His Irish accent hung in the air but he never got the chance to finish his question because one more time Sasha pulled him into a kiss. This time she used his shirt to pull him into her and his body weight pinned her against the wall as their lips met.

Finn was ready for it this time as he ran one of his warm hands up the back of Sasha's thigh, going up a few inches before squeezing her thigh. The pressure made Sasha gasp against Finn's lips giving him the space he needed to slide his tongue into her mouth.

Moaning as her tongue pushed against Finn's tongue, Sasha pushed her body into Finn's. She pressed and rubbed herself against him, trying to get as much contact as possible before she slowly pulled herself back towards the wall, breath heavy and a bit unfocused by the intense kiss. "Finn, Fergal, Prince" In their business, it could get confusing what name to use in a relationship but she wouldn't let that ruin their moment. "I don't know when it happened but I found myself liking you, like more than a friend. I couldn't deal with it if someone else even tried to take you from me. It's greedy, possessive I know… but that's how I am when I want something and I want you, Finn."

"I'd be stupid to not return the feelings of such a beautiful, smart, and talented woman," Finn replied with a charming smile, his words making Sasha blush. Because she couldn't trust her mind to put together coherent words Sasha opted to just kiss her new boyfriend.

Compared to the first two, this kiss was nothing too crazy but for the new couple that didn't make things any less satisfying when eventually Sasha pulled her lips away from Finn's. "As much as I'd like to stay here kissing you all night. I do need to shower still."

"And let me guess, you'd like to use my locker room right?" He had noticed that pattern of her showing up at his dressing spot, not that he had plans to complain about the company of a beautiful woman… who just so happened to be his girlfriend now.

Sasha's mouth curled up into a smirk as she nodded her head slowly to confirm what the Irishman said. "That is one hundred percent right. C'mon lets go, I know who is washing my back~" She said in a sing-song tone before she pulled Finn towards where she knew his dressing room to be.

All Finn could do was chuckle in the wake of Sasha's enthusiasm. Her being happy was more than enough reason for him to be happy he quickly deduced. What he also realized walking behind Sasha's swinging hips was just how nice of an ass and long legs she had… but he'd keep that to himself for now.

* * *

 **Yes, this was inspired by the Mixed Match Challenge coming out. It got me to push out this chapter.**


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